Optical Bonding
Our patented adhesive-free bonding process, Hy-Per Bond™, overcomes issues such as beam distortion and performance degradation resulting from the outgassing of optical cement.
G&H is at the forefront of superpolishing technology, delivering optical components with unparalleled precision and surface quality. From laser cavities and aerospace applications to quantum technology, our proprietary processes have enabled breakthroughs in science and industry, earning us a reputation as the world's original and leading provider of superpolished optics.
Superpolishing offers significantly superior performance in applications that benefit from very low surface roughness.
Achieving a Scratch-Dig of 5-2, a surface roughness of less than 0.5 A, and zero defects at 300x magnification, most superpolished optics are supplied with polished or acid-etched outside diameters and bevels, adding to the level of cleanliness and durability of the components.
Whether for advanced research and development or high-volume OEM production, G&H’s superpolished optics offer the highest levels of precision, durability, and performance.
Contact us today to discover how our expertise in superpolishing can enhance your optical systems and drive innovation in your industry.
G&H’s superpolished optics play a fundamental role in numerous advanced optical applications, offering minimal scatter, high reflectivity, and unmatched durability. This commitment to excellence has positioned G&H as a trusted provider of superpolished optics for some of the most demanding applications in the world. From NASA’s Mars Curiosity mission to cutting-edge synchrotron experiments, enabling ground breaking discoveries and technological advancements.
Ring Laser Gyroscopes (RLGs) - One of the most prominent applications of superpolished optics is in ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs), which are essential for inertial navigation systems in aircraft, spacecraft, and military applications
Synchrotron and X-ray Mirrors - In the field of synchrotron and X-ray optics, superpolished mirrors are indispensable for research facilities requiring extreme precision and ultra-low roughness surfaces. Our custom optics have enabled scientists to achieve prize-winning results in LIGO, NASA's Mars Curiosity Sky Crane, and in synchrotron facilities around the world.
Telecom Optics: Ultra-Thin Wafer Manufacturing - G&H plays a crucial role in the telecommunications industry, where low loss optics are vital for efficient fiber-optic communication systems. Superpolished wafers, featuring total thickness variation (TTV) of less than 12nm, are used in tunable lasers and high-precision beam splitters.
Research-Grade Mirror Substrates - For research-grade mirror substrates, G&H delivers optics that set the industry standard for precision. Flat and concave superpolished mirrors, designed for high-precision interferometry and quantum optics experiments, undergo rigorous surface verification using advanced metrology tools such as Zygo NexView NX2 and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS).
Superpolished materials include N-BK7, calcium fluoride, crystal quarz, fused silica, sapphire, silicon carbide, YAG, Nd:YAG, and ZERODUR.
Calcium fluoride is particularly valued for its high laser damage threshold and minimal absorption, making it an essential material for ultraviolet, visible, and infrared optical systems. It is widely used in lithography, metrology, and excimer laser applications, where ultra-low scatter and high durability are required.
Sapphire is a unique material well suited for many ultraprecision optical applications. It is transparent from the lower UV (142 nm) through the mid-infrared (6.5 µm). Its high tensile strength makes it well suited to many high g-force environments.
In addition, sapphire is very tolerant of high radiation environments, such as space-based applications. Due to its high mechanical strength, sapphire is a very difficult material to polish. Our unique superpolishing processes allow us to polish sapphire components to better than 1 Å surface roughness.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is often used in the optics industry to replace components previously manufactured out of beryllium. The material offers a viable alternative with low weight, high specific stiffness, high thermal conductivity, and excellent dimensional stability. We have developed expertise in polishing silicon carbide mirrors and can polish CVD SILICON CARBIDE™ and lightweight versions of this material.
We also offer customer-supplied substrate polishing services. Additionally, we offer SiC cladding with IBS coatings to ensure the finest possible final surface finish. Lastly, we also supply optical coatings on the finished mirror.
G&H | Competitor A | Competitor B | |
---|---|---|---|
Surface Roughness (RMS) | <0.5Å | <1Å | <0.5Å |
Scratch Dig | <5-2 | 10-5 | Not specified |
Inspection Magnification for defects | 300x | 20x | >100x |
Surface Accuracy | <lambda/50 | <lambda/10 | <lambda/20 |
Shapes | Flat, curved, multiple surfaces | Flat | Flat, curved, multiple surfaces |
Materials | Si, SiC, sapphire, ZERODUR, BK7, fused silica, crystal quartz, YAG , CaF2, quartz, YAG, LuAg and others. | Fused silica | FS, BK7, ZERODUR and others |
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