Black Diamond™ Infrared Lenses - Lightpath Technologies - #1

• lack Diamond™ Infrared Lenses

• Wavelength range i-!4um

• Aspheric lenses reduce number of lenses in a system

• Molded optics improve fidelity

• Diffractive features for thermal compensation

• Low dispersion

• Improved transmission at elevated temperatures

• Custom designs & catalog lenses available

LightPath® is a recognized world leader in press molded aspherical optics. Traditionally, these aspheric lenses have been limited to visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Recent advances in optical materials now provide a common technology path to produce mid and long-wavelength infrared (MWIR & LWIR) aspheres by compression molding. LightPath's® Black Diamond™ technology enables high performance, cost-effective IR aspheric lenses that do not rely on traditional diamond turning or lengthy polishing methods.

LightPath® has produced millions of glass aspheric lenses for a variety of industries and markets since its original technology purchase from Corning® Incorporated in i 994. LightPath's® state of the art facility includes in-house diamond turning capabilities for producing molds with sub-micron accuracies, a key aspect to producing precision quality lenses.

Utilizing aspheric optics significantly reduces the number of lenses required for typical thermal imaging systems. Traditional Germanium aspheres are manufactured by diamond turning, which is time-consuming and expensive. Since they are made one at a time, the lenses may also suffer from variations in surface figure leading to variations in performance from lens to lens. The Black Diamond^™ molding process allows lenses to be manufactured with highly repeatable, consistent performance. Additional diffractive features can be molded directly into the surfaces of the lens, allowing sophisticated beam shaping or achromatization over a range of wavelengths.

LightPath's^® Black Diamond^™ LWIR moldable glass has several advantages over Germanium, which is traditionally used for aspheric LWIR optics. Germanium suffers from transmission loss as temperature increases, especially as the temperature reaches i00°C. Germanium's transmission decreases by 20-30% at !00°C. Black Diamond™ aspheric lenses can be used in environments up to 300°C, enabling a range of applications that were not previously possible with Germanium.

LightPath's® Black Diamond™ aspheres are currently available as catalog lenses or on a custom basis with diameters up to 25mm. Development is in progress to allow the manufacture of these lenses in diameters up to 50mm. Contact LightPath® today to discuss your requirements.

1-800-472-3486

www.lightpath.com