Crystals and optics processing services

Co2+:MgAl2O4 Cospinel is a relatively new material for passive Q-switching in lasers emitting from 1.2 to 1.6 μm, in particular, for eye-safe 1.54 μm Er:glass laser, but also works at 1.44 μm and 1.34 μm wavelengths. Spinel is a hard, stable crystal that polishes well. Cobalt substitutes readily for magnesium in the Spinel host without the need for additional charge compensation ions. High absorption cross section (3.5×10-19 cm2) permits Q-switching of Er:glass laser without intracavity focusing both with flash-lamp and diode-laser pumping. Negligible excited-state absorption results in high contrast of Q-switch, i.e. the ratio of initial (small signal) to saturated absorption is higher than 10.

A band pass filter is a device that passes frequencies within a certain range and rejects (attenuates) frequencies outside that range, and it’s used to selectively transmit a portion of the spectrum while rejecting all other wavelengths.

Dispersion Prisms are used in applications that require separating the incident light into its component wavelengths. For example, when white light enters a Dispersion Prism, it is separated into its three components: red, green, and blue. Dispersion Prisms are ideal for spectroscopy or laser tuning.

Silicon is used as an optical window primarily in the 3 to 5 micron band and as a subsrate for production of optical filters and windows.     Silicon (Si) is grown by Czochralski pulling techniques (CZ) and contains some oxygen that causes an absorption band at 9 microns. To avoid this, material can be prepared by a Float-Zone (FZ) process. Optical silicon is generally lightly doped (5 to 40 ohm cm) for best transmission above 10 microns, and doping is usually boron (P-type) and phosphorus (N-type). After doping silicon has a further pass band: 30 to 100 microns which is effective only in very high resistivity uncompensated material.    

Er: YAG (Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) is a solid-state crystal widely used as a laser medium in various medical and dental applications. It is made by doping erbium ions into yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystals and can emit laser light with a wavelength of approximately 2.94 micrometers in the infrared spectrum.

HGO grows LiF crystals in house using Czochralski technology. LiF crystal or lithium fluoride crystal is an optical material with outstanding transmittance in VUV region. It is also used for windows, prisms, and lenses in the visible and infrared in 0.104µm-7µm. LiF single crystal is sensitive to thermal shock and would be attacked by atmospheric moisture at 400°C. When working at a high temperature of 600°C, the LiF crystal softens and is slightly plastic, so it can be bent into radius plates. In addition irradiation produces color centers. Hence, users should take measures to protect LiF crystals from moisture and high energy radiation damages. What is more LiF can be cleaved along (100) plane and less commonly (110) plane. The optical characteristics are good and yet the structure is not perfect and cleavage is difficult.

In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. At least two of the flat surfaces must have an angle between them. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use "prism" usually refers to this type. Some types of optical prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric prisms. Prisms can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed.

Double Convex Lenses are used in image relay applications, or for imaging objects at close conjugates. Double Convex Lenses have positive focal lengths, along with two convex surfaces with equal radii. Aberrations will increase as the conjugate ratios increase.  Double-Convex Lenses are used in a range of industries or applications. HG OPTRONICS offers Double Convex lenses with a variety of coating options.