Edmund Optics has introduced a new line of Techspec UV fused-silica five-sided prisms. The prisms reflect light rays through a 90° angle by two reflections without inverting or reverting the image. They serve as a valuable tool to shorten the optical path-length of an instrument while maintaining the image orientation. This is essential when space is limited.
The new prisms are made from UV-grade fused silica, which has a coefficient of thermal expansion of just 0.5 μm/°C. They offer excellent transmission throughout the UV, visible and NIR spectral ranges. These features make these prisms suitable for applications where the temperature cannot be controlled, including surveying, long-distance alignment and range-finding instrumentation.
A variety of coating options enhance overall efficiency. Uncoated or reflecting surfaces can be aluminised, or coated with inconel and black paint. These prisms are manufactured to a surface quality of 20-10, a surface accuracy of 1/10λ and a dimension tolerance of +0.10 mm.