Optical Domes
High numerical aperture (NA) optical domes for visible and IR light using precision tooling, made from materials including zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, or germanium. Utilizing CNC processing, combined with extensive metrology capabilities, we deliver precision domes for aerospace and military applications.
Optical domes are made of two parallel surfaces that are curved, and this geometry protects and isolates critical sensors and electronics from the environment with minimal disruption to the optical path.
Optical domes can be found on forward-looking infrared systems, seeker head optical systems, in submersibles, and underwater camera systems. Airborne systems must be designed to withstand sand, intense temperature differentials, and other challenging environmental conditions. Diamond-like coatings can be used to improve performance in the field. Submersible optics must likewise be designed to withstand sea salt, spray, and more humid challenging conditions.
To ensure performance in the field, we leverage our extensive metrology capabilities to qualify every component at every step in the manufacturing process. Optical domes are difficult to measure; therefore, we have developed proprietary stitching interferometry processes to minimize errors due to reflections.
We design and manufacture our optical domes, by hand, in the United Kingdom.
Contact us to discuss your optical domes needs today.
Specifications
| Substrate materials | Ge, ZnS, ZnSe |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 75–200 mm |
| Material thickness | ≥4 mm |
| Surface figure | 2 fringes with power x 0.5 fringes irregularity over 100 mm diameter @ 633 nm |
| Dimensional tolerance | 0.1 mm |
| Parallelism | 30 arc seconds |
| Coatings | AR coatings for VIS, NIR, MWIR, LWIR, broadband |
| Especially optimized for | Abrasive environments |
| Transmission in high angles | |
| High long-term stability | |
| Environmental testing | Humidity, sea salt spray, DIN, MIL |
| Country of manufacture | UK |
G&H Precision Optics Brochure
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Coatings
From high transmission broadband anti-reflection coatings to V-coats for high energy applications, our extensive coating capabilities for precision optical components deliver performance across the spectrum from the UV to the FIR. Take a closer look at our optical coatings service.
Metrology
We have made a significant investment in metrology equipment to ensure that our customers receive quality, high-performing precision optical components. More details on our metrology capabilities can be found on our metrology page.
Environmental testing
Environmental testing of components and coatings is critical for the assurance of performance in rugged conditions. G&H environmental testing capabilities include MIL-C-675C, MIL-C-48497A, MIL-E-12397, and MIL-M-13508C for endurance against abrasion, adhesion, humidity, temperature, and environmental conditions.
Product enquiry
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