Crystals and optics processing services

α-BBO (α-BaB2O4) is a negative uniaxial crystal which has large birefringence over a broad transparent range of 190nm to 3500nm. α-BBO is an excellent crystal especially in UV and high power applications. The physical, chemical, thermal, and optical properties of alpha-BBO crystal are similar to those of Beta-BBO. However, there is no second order nonlinear effect in alpha-BBO crystal due to the centrosymmetry in its crystal structure and thus it has no use for second order nonlinear optical processes. Instead, alpha-BBO is widely used for fabrication of polarizers, polarizing beam displacers, phase retarders, birefringent plates, and time delay compensators especially those for UV and high power lasers.

HGO grows Tm:YLF laser crystals using Czochralski technology. Tm:YLF is an important middle infrared laser crystal. Because Tm:YLF is negative uniaxial crystal, whose thermal refractive index coefficient is negative, some thermal distortion may be counteracted and high-quality light can be output. Conveniently pumped at 792nm, 1.9μm linearly polarized beam is output in a axis, and non-linearly polarized beam is output in c axis. The YLF crystals has low non-linear refraction index value and thermo optical constants, which makes these crystals applicable in research, development, education, production, photonics, optic, laser technology and telecommunications. Besides, Tm3+:YLF lasers are ideal pump sources for 2.1 μm Ho3+:YAG lasers. This is due to a good overlap of Tm3+:YLF emission and Ho3+:YAG absorption spectra and the capacity of producing linearly polarized output. What is more, the refractive index of Tm3+:YLF decreases with temperature, leading to a negative thermal lens that is partly compensated by a positive lens effect due to end face bulging.

Prisms are transparent optical devices which refract or reflect light. They have manifold applications in laser technology.

Ytterbium-doped Potassium Gadolinium Tungstate (Yb:KGd(WO₄)₂, Yb:KGW) crystal is an excellent laser gain material, boasting numerous advantages over the widely used Nd³⁺-doped materials. Its wide spectral emission band of 1023-1060 nm enables the generation of short laser pulses (picosecond or femtosecond level). The broad absorption band at 980 nm and highly absorbent pump radiation allow it to efficiently utilize diode laser pumping. Compared with YAG doped with Yb³⁺ ions, KGW crystal has a larger absorption cross-section, which reduces the minimum pump intensity required to achieve transparency in the quasi-two-level system of Yb.

Corner Cube Prism also called Retroreflector.It has three mutually perpendicular surfaces and a hypotenuse face. Light entering through the hypotenuse is reflected by each of the three surfaces in turn and will emerge through the hypotenuse face parallel to the entering beam regardless of the orientation of the incident beam. For its special performance, it is often used to the distance measurement, optical signal process and laser.

Double Concave Lenses are used in beam expansion, image reduction, or light projection applications. These lenses are also ideal for expanding the focal length of an optical system. Double Concave Lenses, which have two concave surfaces, are Optical Lenses with negative focal lengths. HG OPTRONICS offers Double Concave lenses with a variety of coating options.

Ti:Sapphire crystal is the most widely used tunable solid-state laser material combining the supreme physical and optical properties with the extremely broad lasing range. Its lasing bandwidth can support pulses < 10fs making it the crystal of choice for femtosecond mode-locked oscillators and amplifiers. The absorption band of Ti:Sapphire centers at ~ 490 nm so it may be conveniently pumped by various laser sources such as argon ion lasers or frequency doubled Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:YVO4 lasers at ~530nm. Laser designers are using Ti:sapphire to generate femtosecond pulses to create new industrial tools. A properly delivered femtosecond laser pulse interacts within the target leaving the surrounding area undisturbed. Newly developed femtosecond pulsed lasers micro-machine complex fine structures in glass, metal and other materials. Active waveguides can be written below the surface, integrating optical devices within the body of a substrate. Defects in photomasks can be repaired without disturbing neighbouring patterns. And it is now possible to achieve cellular resolution in vivo for medical diagnosis with femtosecond pulse lasers.

Laser Line Mirrors are used for beam-steering in demanding laser applications. Laser Line Mirrors are Optical Mirrors that have been designed for specific laser types or wavelengths.