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MetallicMirrorCoatings
Justaswithantireflection(AR)coatings,metallicmirrorcoatingsarealsodesignedfordifferentregionsofthespectrum.
EdmundOpticsoffersaseriesofprotectedmetalliccoatingscapableofprovidinghighreflectancevaluesfor
applicationsusingwavelengthsrangingfrom250nmtobeyond10m.Ourstandardmetallicmirrorcoatingsinclude
ProtectedAluminum,EnhancedAluminum,UVEnhancedAluminum,ProtectedGoldandProtectedSilver.Protected
AluminumandEnhancedAluminumaretypicallyusedforvisibleapplications.UVEnhancedAluminumcanbeusedforUV
andvisibleapplications.ProtectedGoldoffershighreflectanceforInfraredornearInfraredwavelengths.ProtectedSilver
providesthehighestreflectancebetween500800nmbutisbestsuitedasarearsurfacereflectorduetoitssensitivityto
tarnishing.
INTRODUCTIONTOFIRSTSURFACEANDSECONDSURFACEMIRRORS
EdmundOpticsoffersavarietyofmirrorsubstratesandgeometriescoated
withourstandardmetallicmirrorcoatings,laserlinecoatings,aswellas,
custombroadband,narrowband,singlelaserline,duallaserlineandlaserline
beamsplittercoatings.Allofourmirrorproductsarefirstsurfacemirrors,Figure
1,featuringahighreflectivitycoating,suchasmetallicormultilayerdielectric,
depositedononesurfaceoftheglasssubstrate(wealsoofferafewfamiliesof
metalsubstratemirrors).Bycontrast,secondsurfacemirrors,Figure2,are
manufacturedinthesamemannerasfirstsurfacemirrorsbutfeaturean
additionalcoverglassonthecoatedsurface,usuallysilverplated,for
protection.Thiscoverglassprotectsthecoatinglayerfromscratchingand
oxidization.EdmundOpticsrecommendsfirstsurfacemirrorstosecondsurface
mirrorsforthefollowingthreereasons(Figure2):

Figure1[ViewLargerImage]

1. Lightincidentonasecondsurfacemirrorissubjecttodispersionfrom
reflectionoffthecoverglass.Glasstendstodisperselight,causingdifferent
wavelengthstorefractatdifferentangles.
2. DuetoFresnelreflectionsatthecoverglass,reflectedlightexhibitsghost
images,indicatedbythedashedredline.
Figure2[ViewLargerImage]
3. DuetoFresnelreflections,responsibleforapproximately4%reflectionloss

OpticalMirrors
Laser,flat,metal
substrate,focusing,
orspecialtymirrors
inarangeof
reflectivecoatingoptions,including
aluminum,silver,gold,ordielectric.
StockandCustom
OpticalCoatings
Weofferavarietyof
singleandmultilayer
coatingsincluding
broadband,vcoat,polarizing,
metallic,andnarrowbandpassinthe
UV,visible,andIRspectra.Checkout
whatwecandoforyou.
AnIntroductiontoOptical
CoatingsCoatingscontrolthe
reflectionandtransmissionoflight
throughthemechanismofoptical
interference.We'llteachyouthe
basicstohelpyouchoosetheright
coatingforyournextapplication.
AntiReflection(AR)CoatingsIs
thetotaltransmissioninyour
applicationnotenough?Tryananti
reflectioncoatingonyouroptics.See
whatEOhastooffer.

ateachinterface,reflectionefficiencyisreducedbyusingasecondsurfacemirror.
STANDARDMETALLICMIRRORCOATINGSPECIFICATIONS
ProtectedAluminum
ProtectedAluminumisourmostpopularmirrorcoatingforapplicationsinthevisibleandnearInfrared.Ahalfwavelength
ofSiliconMonoxide(SiO)isusedasanovercoattoprotectthedelicatealuminum.Thistreatmentprovidesanabrasion
resistantsurfacewhilemaintainingtheperformanceofaluminum.
EnhancedAluminumandUVEnhancedAluminum
Amultilayerfilmofdielectricsontopofaluminumisusedtoenhancethereflectanceinthevisibleorultravioletregions.
EnhancedAluminumisidealforapplicationsrequiringincreasedreflectancefrom400nm650nmwhileUVEnhanced
Aluminumyieldsincreasedreflectancefrom250nm400nm.Themultilayerfilmalsoprovidesthehandlingcharacteristics
oftheprotectedaluminumcoating.
ProtectedGold
ProtectedGoldiseffectiveforapplicationsrequiringhighreflectanceinthenearInfraredandInfraredregions.Sincea
durablecoatingisnecessaryforhandlingpurposes,weoffergoldwithaSiliconMonoxideovercoat.Theperformanceof
gold(96%reflectivityfrom750nm1500nm)ismaintained,whileprovidingamoredurablefinish.
ProtectedSilver
ProtectedSilveroffersexcellentreflectivityinthevisibleandinfraredregions,makingitanexcellentchoicefor
broadbandapplicationsthatspanmultiplespectra.Silveroffersareflectivity>98%from500800nm.Aprotectivecoating
reducessilver'stendencytotarnishbutthecoatingisideallysuitedtolowhumidityenvironments.

Chat now

Figure3:MetallicMirrorCoatingReflectanceCurvesTheoreticalreflectancerisesgraduallythrough10m
MetallicMirrorCoatingInformation
Name

WavelengthRange

ReflectionSpecifications

TypicalEnergyDensityLimit

ProtectedAluminum

400700nm

R avg >85%

0.3J/cm2@532nm&1064nm,10ns

EnhancedAluminum

450650nm

R avg >95%

0.2J/cm2@532nm,10ns

UVEnhancedAluminum

250700nm

R avg >85%

0.5J/cm2@355nm,10ns

ProtectedGold

700800nm

R avg >94%

0.8J/cm2@1064nm,10ns

80010000nm

R avg >97%

500800nm

R avg >98%

200010000nm

R avg >98%

ProtectedSilver

0.5J/cm2@532nm&1064nm,10ns

CUSTOMMIRRORCOATINGSAVAILABLE
EdmundOpticsisaleadingdesignerandmanufactureroflasercoatingsformirrors,beamsplitters,windows,andother
opticalcomponents.Weworkwithanumberoftestinglaboratoriestoindependentlyqualifyandcertifyourcoatingsfor
resistancetolaserdamage.Allspecifieddamagethresholdvalueshavebeenobtainedbytestingmultiplecoatingrunsto
ensureanaccurateresult.Thevaluesspecifiedareconservative,withtypicaldatashowingthatourmirrorsareableto

withstand23timesthespecifiedthreshold.
Weareabletodesignandmanufacturecoatingsforsingleormultiplelaserlines,aswellasforbroadbandtunablelaser
sources.Coatingsdesignsarealsoavailableforpartialreflectors,outputcouplers,andetalons,andforanyangleof
incidenceorpolarizationstate.Ourworldclassmanufacturingfacilitiesareabletoproducesubstrateswithsurface
accuraciesof</20,surfacequalitiesof105,parallelismof<0.5arcseconds,andsurfaceroughnessof<5Angstromsin
anyglassandmostcrystallinesubstrates.Wewillalsocoatcustomersuppliedsubstratesforprototypeorproduction
volumes.
Forhighpowerapplications,coatingdesignerschoosematerialswithintrinsicallylowabsorptionattherelevant
wavelengths.Butthecustomeralsoneedstobeawarethatthechoiceofcoatingmaterialsforhighpowerapplicationsis
limited.Thesystemdesignerdoeswelltodesignforopticswiththeappropriatedamagethresholdsfromthebeginningof
theopticaldesignprocess.
Coatingsforusewithhighpowerultraviolet(UV)lasersaremadeofdifferentmaterialsfromthoseforuseinthevisible
andnearinfrared(IR).Thecorestructureofhighreflectioncoatingsistypicallyarepeatingstackofhighandlowindex
layers,eachaquarterwavelengththick.Thedesignofthecoatingcansignificantlyalterthedamagethreshold.Simply
addingahalfwaveoflowindexmaterial(normallysilicondioxide)asthefinallayercanresultinmeasurablyhigher
damagethresholds.Silicondioxide(SiO 2)isthegenerallyacceptedandubiquitouschoiceforlowindexlayers,and
dielectricmetaloxidesingeneralarepreferredmaterialsforUV,visible,andnearIRlaserapplications.Choosinga
materialforhighindexlayersisnotasstraightforward:oxidesoftitanium,tantalum,zirconium,hafnium,scandium,and
niobiumareallpopularhighindexmaterials.
BBHRandNBHR(NotchFilter)
VisibleBroadband:R avg >98%,425675nm,045AOI
NotchFilter:R>90%atCenterWavelength(CWL),FWHM<0.12CWL,Tavg
>90%forOutofBandWavelengths
CustomCoatingsAvailableforWavelengthsbetween3001800nm(BBHR)
and350850nm(Notch)

Figure4[ViewLargerImage]

SingleandDualLaserLineReflector
MaximumReflectanceat1or2CustomerSelectedWavelengthsfrom1903000nm(SingleLine)or3501700nm
(DualLine)
SingleLine:R>99.5%,atDesignWavelength
DualLine:R>98.5%,atBothWavelengthsofInterest

Figure5[ViewLargerImage]

LaserLineBeamsplitter
PartialReflectancefrom5%Rto95%R,perCustomerRequirement
ReflectanceSpecification:R%=2%Typical:R%=1%
45,RandomandNonpolarizingVersions
DesignWavelengthsfrom2503000nm

Figure6[ViewLargerImage]

Note:Allgraphsandvaluesaretypicalandforreferenceonly.
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