Acton Optics & Coatings has introduced two new broadband coatings that provide UV reflectivity while maintaining high reflectance up to the mid-IR wavelength range.
Because standard silver coatings do not reflect well below 450nm, aluminum coatings are often used in the UV. But since aluminum coatings also have drawbacks in terms of reflectivity and absorption, Acton Optics & Coatings has developed UV-enhanced silver coatings to bridge the gap.
The new #4000 and #4100 silver-based coatings overcome the inherent reflectivity limitation of silver below 450nm and deliver high levels of broadband reflectivity (typically >98 per cent) from 400nm to the mid-IR. The #4000 coating is tailored to applications that require the highest reflectance in the UV, as well as strong performance in the mid-IR. In contrast, the #4100 exhibits strong broadband-UV performance, while maintaining consistent high reflectivity throughout the mid-IR.
The UV-enhanced silver coatings are suited for many applications, including military optics, telescopes, spaceflight hardware, analytical instruments, and ultrafast Ti:sapphire lasers. The new coatings can be applied to Acton Optics & Coatings’ standard substrates and custom substrates, as well as to customer-supplied material (CSM).