Sterling Precision Optics
1916 Greenleaf St., Evanston, IL 60202
Phone: 847.864.6900 • Fax: 847.864.6910
Email: sales@sterling-precision-optics.com • Web Address: www.sterlingprecision.com
Custom Optical Components > Optical Windows  


Optical Windows

An Optical Window is a mechanically flat, sometimes optically flat, depending on resolution requirements, ) piece of transparent (for a wavelength range of interest, not necessarily for visible light) optical material that allows light into an optical instrument. A window is usually parallel and is likely to be anti-reflection coated, at least if it is designed for visible light. An optical window may be built into a piece of equipment (such as a vacuum chamber) to allow optical instruments to view inside that equipment.






Specifications

Materials
Borofloat
Colored Filter Glass
Fused Silica
Germanium
N-BK
Plate Glass
Sapphire
Zinc Selenide

Quality
Parallel or wedged optical windows can be manufactured with laser grade surface quality and surface flatness for demanding applications.

Coating
Anti Reflection coatings (AR and HEA) to improve the transmission from UV to IR wavelength regime.

Applications
Sterling Precision Optics Optical Windows are used in many industries such as:
  • Aerospace
  • Military Avionics
  • Commercial Avionics
  • Scientific and Medical Instrumentation
  • Academics and Research
  • Industrial Applications

Sterling also has perfected the process to make underwater camera windows. These windows need to be very strong to withstand the pressures while the also need to be flat and parallel. Sterling achieves this through a tempering and repolishing process that it has developed over the years. A typical window is made from NBK7 (Tempered) and is 4 inches in diameter with a thickness of 2 inches with one surface AR coated.




Print Back