Optical windows are usually in the form of flat plates in transparent medium to separate two specific environments from each other, while maximizing transmission of light. These optical windows are frequently used to protect optical systems or components from harmful environmental influences.
Fused Silica windows
Fused silica windows are an ideal choice for optical applications when you need a high degree of purity, durability, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and great resistance to thermal shock. All these features make them perfectly suited for a wide variety of demanding applications, such as multiphoton imaging systems and intracavity laser applications. There are a lot of options for Fused Silica Windows from Corning, Heraeus, Ohala, GE124/214 or low-cost China JGS1, JGS2 and JGS3. These precision UV Precision Fused Silica Windows feature laser-grade surface quality and parallelism.
Sapphire Windows
Sapphire windows with low scattering and birefringence are an ideal material for applications involving high pressure, vacuum, or corrosive atmospheres. The reason is that these windows feature extreme surface hardness, high thermal conductivity, high dielectric constant, and resistance to common chemical acids. These characteristics make sapphire windows ideal for lamp shields, high-temperature combustion chambers, furnace systems, and gas processing.
Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) windows
Calcium fluoride has excellent transmission in the UV. These windows are often used to make windows with high transmittance starting from below 150 nm and extending throughout the visible range. Its low solubility and broad transmission range make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including mirror substrates for UV laser systems, substrates for manufacturing windows, and UV and IR lenses.
Germanium (Ge) windows
Germanium is an extremely hard and high-density material. It is primarily used in optical and laser systems. With the variety of optical coating options available, germanium windows are popularly used in infrared detectors and infrared imaging systems. Germanium is a very hard and high-density material. These windows, with a variety of optical coatings, are widely used in infrared detectors and infrared imaging systems. These windows can be coated with a far-infrared AR coating and a DLC coating. Optical windows are used for reference surfaces, defence surfaces, and medical and life sciences.
Silicon (Si) Windows
These windows are manufactured from optical grade silicon. Silicon has a low density (about half that of zinc selenite or germanium), making it ideal for optical systems where weight is a significant factor. These windows are suitable for IR applications, offering good transmittance from 1.2 to 7.0 m. Also, silicon has a low 2.329 g/cm3 density, which is half the density of germanium and zinc selenite, making it a superb choice for weight-sensitive applications.
BK 7 windows
BK7 is a high-quality choice for an optical window. It is made up of pure optical borosilicate-crown glass material. It is primarily used for industrial, medical, and high-precision lower power laser applications with AR coatings applied for increased transmission. These windows help to safeguard the elements and optical enclosures between two environments.
Most manufacturers provide custom-made optical windows according to the drawings or samples provided by the clients.
