CeramOptec has released vacuum-sealed fibre optic assemblies, which transmit UV, visible and NIR optical energy in and out of vacuum environments.
The fibres are continuous through the vacuum seal to ensure zero insertion loss. All of the vacuum sealed fibre optic assemblies are helium leak tested and certified at 10-9 cm³/sec torr. Before vacuum-sealed fibre optic assemblies were implemented, light sources with focusing optics had to be mounted outside of the vacuum chamber. This technique resulted in a large degree of losses and negated the ability to aim with any precision.
Standard configurations for CeramOptec's vacuum sealed fibre optic assemblies include fibre from 50µm to 2,000µm core/silica/silica fibres or fibre bundles with any number of fibres available. The standard flange is an aluminum HPS NW40 type or a 3/8 inch OD x 2 inch long SS-303 feedthrough. A unique JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) flange is also available.
CeramOptec will customise vacuum-sealed fibre optic assemblies from a single fibre of any size or for bundles of fibres, ranging from two to three fibres up to several thousand fibres. Other variations include using different fibre, flange, sheath and termination types and different cable lengths. Versions with extended temperature range and greater chemical resistance are available.