Aspheric lenses - Precision grade
Aspheric surfaces allow single elements to achieve near-diffraction-limited performance even at large apertures, avoiding the complexity, bulk and reflection losses of multiple-element designs such as microscope objectives. However, until recently it has not been possible to produce scientific optical components economically with good figure.
New precision moulding technology, and bulk demand for laser-diode collimators, now allows us to offer this range at a very reasonable cost. They are also ideal for laser focusing and beam expander optical components and for fibre input and output.
Although designed for specific laser wavelengths, their performance will be practically as good over most of the visible and NIR range.
The glass lenses have a single-layer AR coating on high index flint glass giving over 97% transmittance at the design wavelength. To calculate variation with wavelength. The plastic lenses offer high precision at a very low cost. Some items have integral mounting rings to simplify handing and mounting.
Glass aspheric condenser lenses - Fire-polished grade
Aspheric lenses reduce aberrations and therefore perform better when used for low f-number, high efficiency illumination applications. These aspheric lenses are thermally toughened to withstand high temperatures and are therefore usually used to collimate light from a lamp or similar source such as in projection and other illumination applications. Aspheric lenses have large apertures that allow efficient collection. The aspheric surface moulded and fire-polished steep curved, the second surface that faces the source, is ground and polished. These aspheric lenses are uncoated.
Sapphire and glass ball lenses
Ball lenses have very low spherical aberration and so focus and collimate light very accurately; a sapphire ball has only 23% of the aberration of an equivalent BK7 planoconvex lens over the same aperture. Ball lenses are available economically at very high precision and are simple to mount. Sapphire can be used from 170nm to 5.3µm and has exceptional hardness, strength and temperature resistance. Ball lenses are ideal for focusing light into fibres, fibre coupling, emitters and detectors.
Quality Biconvex lenses
Biconvex lenses are used for shorter focal lengths in comparison to a larger diameter required, and used for focusing parallel rays of light to a point, and would be best used for high quality imaging and laser applications. These biconvex lenses and other scientific optical components are from BK7 and SF11 and are ideal for most high quality imaging and laser applications. These biconvex lenses are stocked uncoated or with a broadband AR coating for 450-900nm.
UV-fused silica concave lenses
Planoconcave lenses have one inward curved face and one flat face. Planoconcave lens bend parallel input rays so that they diverge away from one another on the output side of the lens. They have a negative focal length. Planoconvex lenses are mainly used for image reduction or to spread light. Planoconcave lenses are also known as a tube-length correction lens in microscopy and as a Barlow lens in astronomy. These Planoconcave lenses made from fused silica for use in the UV down to 170nm. Ideal for hostile environments requiring greater thermal, chemical and radiation resistance compared to ordinary optical glasses. Fused silica concave lens components are stocked uncoated or with a multilayer AR coating for 248-400nm.
Quality Planoconcave lenses
Planoconcave lenses have one inward curved face and one flat face. Planoconcave lens bend parallel input rays so that they diverge away from one another on the output side of the lens. They have a negative focal length. Planoconvex lenses are mainly used for image reduction or to spread light. Planoconcave lenses are also known as a tube-length correction lens in microscopy and as a Barlow lens in astronomy. These Planoconcave lenses (scientific optical components) are stocked uncoated or with a multilayer AR coating for 450-900nm except SF11 which are SLAR
High-index Planoconcave laser lenses
These AR coated High-index planoconcave laser lenses complement the lenses in the High-index planoconvex laser lenses section, with which they may be combined to form Galilean beam-expenders. The high index reduces spherical aberration and allows use of an efficient and economical single-layer AR coating.
Commercial Convex lenses
Commercial-grade convex lenses are ideal for teaching and experimental work. These commercial convex lenses are used as condensers and magnifiers etc. where high quality imaging is not required. All optical commercial-convex lenses are stocked uncoated.
Large condenser lenses - Quality grade
These planoconvex condenser lenses are optically polished with moulded edges. Except for the B270 lens, all the condenser lenses are in low-expansion borosilicate glass and have excellent thermal shock resistance. Borosilicate material contains some striae and bubbles, but these are not normally an issue for condenser application components.
Cylindrical lenses - Quality grade (Uncoated)
Cylindrical Lenses are used to focus or diverge light in one plane only. Our circular lenses are particularly convenient components for mounting; the longer-focus lenses are simply cut to a circular shape, whilst the stronger lenses are mounted in a recess on a black anodised aluminium disc.
B270 optical crown lenses are offered for the visible and near IR, and fused silica for the UV; both are also available multiplayer AR coated to improve transmittance.
Meniscus cylindrical lenses
These ophthalmic meniscus lenses provide a wide range of longer focal lengths at low cost. The 60mm lenses have moulded edges whilst the 25mm are edged and centred. Each lens has one spherical and one toroidal surface, giving zero power in one cross-section and positive or negative power in the orthogonal section. The overall effect is that a conventional cylindrical lens components.
Doublet lenses Components
Doublet lenses are used to produce a higher quality image than singlet lenses of which they easily out perform, even in monochromatic light. Doublet lenses are made up of two different types of glass, a flint and crown glass. These doublet lenses are designed to correct spherical aberration and coma as well as for chromatic aberration. Freedom from spherical aberration means that the focal length is independent of aperture. Doublet lenses performance and usages depend on the relative aperture. All but the largest apertures are diffraction-limited on axis and give excellent imaging over a small field (say 5°) as required for microscopes etc.
Negative doublets are commonly inserted between an objective and its image to increase the tube length (as in microscopy) or magnification (as in astronomy) they are therefore optimised for these conditions of 2x.
Optical Fresnel lenses
Fresnel lenses replace conventional lenses that have a curved surface with a series of concentric grooves, which are moulded into the surface of lightweight plastic sheets. The moulded grooves act as individual refracting surfaces when viewed in cross section. These lightweight large-aperture Fresnel lenses are widely used as collimators and collectors, e.g. in sensor or communication systems. Alongside our established low-cost standard range, we offer a precision range of different manufacture, with very close tolerances and better surface finish, and so suitable for more demanding applications such as projection systems and simulators. Some 'cylindrical' lenses focusing light in one direction only are included. These lenses are uncoated.
UV-fused silica convex lenses
Synthetic fused silica offers high transmission imaging in ultraviolet applications and can be used (down to 170nm) although used mostly in UV applications synthetic fused silica also performs well in the visible and NIR. UV synthetic fused silica also has very low fluorescence, excellent thermal properties and high resistance to radiation and to chemical attack. UV synthetic fused silica Lenses are available uncoated or with multiplayer AR coating for 248-400nm.
Crown-glass meniscus lenses
Meniscus lenses have one face curved inwards and the other curved outwards. Ophthalmic meniscus lenses offer a wide range of powers at low cost. The crown-glass meniscus lenses are stocked in standard 60mm diameter with a moulded edge and in 25mm diameter, which has an edged, finish and are centred.
Meniscus negative lenses components
Ophthalmic meniscus lenses offer a wide range of powers at low cost. These meniscus negative lenses are useful as a supplementary lens for reducing the power of another lens. Meniscus negative lenses are stocked in standard 60mm diameter with a moulded edge and in 25mm diameter, which has an edged, finish and are centred.
Quality Planoconvex lenses
Planoconvex lenses are the simplest form of lens, used for focusing parallel rays of light to a point. These high quality planoconvex lenses are made from BK7 and B270 and are ideal for most high quality imaging and laser applications. Planoconvex lenses can also be used for a variety of other applications such as fibre optics and emitters etc. Most of the Planoconvex lenses are stocked uncoated or with a broadband AR coating for 450-900nm.scientific optical components and Planoconvex lenses are also stocked with an alternative coating for use over 630-1100nm ranges with special care taken to optimise the transmission at 1064nm
Rod lenses
These cylindrical lenses have very short focal lengths and large apertures, and are simple to mount. They are generally used to expand a laser beam into a fan of rays, so defining a plane and projecting a line onto any surface. For this purpose we also offer these mounted. The mount has a standard Tube Mount 25mm thread and attaches directly to our beam expanders and, via adaptors, to laser heads etc. It can be rotated and locked in the correct orientation.
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