Request InfoOptical Surfaces Ltd.KENLEY, UK, May 6, 2015 — Optical Surfaces Ltd. offers lightweight mirrors for ground- and space-based telescope experiments. The company's light weighting techniques can reduce the weight of the mirror by as much as 60 percent compared to traditional solid mirrors. The reduced weight allows smaller, lighter support and control structures, reducing the overall cost of the telescope. Available are highly aspheric, fast focusing (to f 0.5) parabolic mirrors. The company also fabricates aspheric lenses with tight tolerances, low surface scatter (20-10 scratch-dig) and high surface accuracy (λ/20).See full productRelated content from Photonics MediaPRODUCTSPhotonics Spectra July 2023 IssueMirror MountsWedged back paraboloid mounts from Optical Surfaces Ltd. provide a secure and stable platform for mirror diameters from 50 to 200 mm. Constructed in black anodized aluminum, the device’s...Photonics Spectra September 2023 IssueModular Beam ExpanderOptical Surfaces’ pre-aligned large diameter beam expander modules enable complex 5-degrees of freedom set-up in a matter of minutes. The modular beam expander assembly components include...Photonics Spectra October 2022 IssueCompact Beam ExpandersThe A1 series of compact beam expanders from Optical Surfaces Ltd. delivers ×30 magnification from 2-mm aperture high-power laser beam lines. Delivering artifact-free high magnification,...Photonics.com 7/27/2022Fiber Couplers and CollimatorsThe 60SMF series of fiber couplers and the 60FC series of fiber collimators from Schäfter+ Kirchhoff GmbH feature the miniature AVIM® connector. Opening up fields of application in...ARTICLESPhotonics Spectra December 2023 IssueUK’s Central Laser Facility Receives Over $100M for Planned UpgradeThe Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Central Laser Facility (CLF) was awarded £85 million ($103.2 million) by UK Research and Innovation for an upgrade initiative that includes...Photonics Spectra January 2024 IssueAquark Demonstrates Cold Atom System on Small DroneUniversity of Southampton spinout Aquark Technologies has demonstrated continuous trapping of cold atoms suitable for sensing while flying on a drone. Cold atom-based quantum technologies support...Photonics.com 5/30/2022Diffractive Solar Sail Project Gets Green Light at NASANASA has selected a solar sail concept for development toward a demonstration mission with potential to advance space travel beyond what is currently possible. The Diffractive Solar Sailing...Photonics Spectra February 2024 IssuePlasma-infused Pulse Compression Proposes Pathway to Zettawatt LasersThe ability to compress laser pulses to ultrahigh powers could open the way for compact lasers in the order of exawatt and above. Such powerful lasers would enable scientists to push the limits of...PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESPhotonics HandbookNano-Optics Technology: Optical AlchemyOptics today needs alchemy, and the forces that motivate microchip technology are a key reason why. Today, light can transmit and process digital information as well as electricity can — in...Photonics HandbookAdaptive Optics: Taming Atmospheric TurbulenceTo Isaac Newton the problem was clear, and in 1704 he realized the effects of atmospheric turbulence on image formation. Just as heat waves shimmering above a hot patch of ground can distort our...Photonics HandbookDetectors: CCDs for Life-Science ApplicationsSince their invention in the late 1960s, charge-coupled devices, also called CCDs, have found widespread use in imaging applications. Electronic cameras based on CCD technology are used in...Photonics HandbookExcimer Optics: High Power Demands High ReliabilityThe first high-reflectance mirror coatings for the UV and vacuum UV (VUV) were of the Al + MgF2 type produced in the late 1950s. Coatings of this design are still used today for multigas cavity...WHITEPAPERSPhotonics.com 9/19/2022Advantages of VPH GratingsThe term 'diffraction grating' often brings to mind a surface relief grating, with ruled lines and a delicate surface. A transmission grating, however, opens up many new options for the optical...Photonics.com 1/16/2024Antireflection Coatings for Space ApplicationsSpace can be a harsh environment for optical coatings. Optimax has successfully provided antireflection (AR) coatings for a wide range of space applications. This paper outlines the results of...Photonics.com 8/25/2022Diffraction Gratings - an IntroductionThis paper is ideal for those wanting an introductory guide to the various types of diffraction gratings and understanding their advantages and disadvantages as well as including some useful grating...Photonics.com 12/2/2022Plano Optics - Complex Components and AssembliesWe offer custom prisms, polygons, windows, mirrors, and wedges from one source. FISBA not only has the complete production chain in-house, we can also develop entire systems built-to-spec or support...WEBINARSPhotonics.com 11/10/2020Multiphoton Autofluorescence Imaging of T-Cell FunctionImmune cells, including T cells, have a range of functions depending on activation state and subtype. However, current methods to assess immune cell function use exogenous labels that are limiting...Photonics.com 11/15/2023High Quality Measurements of Mid Spatial Frequencies in Optical SurfacesModern computer numerical control (CNC) polishing has revolutionized optical component manufacturing by enabling both more precise and wilder surface shapes to be deterministically manufactured....Photonics.com 9/23/2019Solving Challenges in Defect Inspection of Advanced OpticsOptical components such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and windows undergo tight quality control to deliver optimal optical transfer function. Any scratch, dig, chip pinhole, or other defect will...Photonics.com 6/9/2016Photonics for OphthalmologyPhotonics Media invites you to join us for our upcoming FREE digital conference, "Photonics for Ophthalmology." The event will feature several 15-minute online presentations on the use of light-based...PHOTONICS DICTIONARY+ TERMSPhotonics DictionaryFizeau fringesFizeau fringes are interference fringes observed in an interferometer, specifically in a Fizeau interferometer. The Fizeau interferometer is named after the French physicist Armand Fizeau, who...Photonics Dictionarymagnetorheological finishingMagnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a precision optics polishing technique used for shaping and finishing optical surfaces to achieve extremely high levels of smoothness and accuracy. It is...Photonics Dictionarylateral shearing interferometerA lateral shearing interferometer is an optical device used in interferometry to measure phase differences between two beams of light. Interferometry is a technique that combines and analyzes...Photonics Dictionarydiamond-turned opticDiamond turning refers to a precision machining process used to produce complex optical components, particularly lenses and mirrors, from materials such as metals, plastics, and crystalline materials...VIDEOSPhotonics.com 3/4/2024Precision Aspheres: Manufacturing and Metrology - LaCroix Precision OpticsAspheres have allowed optical designers to create systems and products that push the limitations of performance across several fields. In this presentation, we will explain the various processes...Photonics.com 3/4/2024Specifying Optical Coatings - LaCroix Precision OpticsOptical coatings modify the reflectance, transmittance, and absorptive properties of optic substrates to make them much more efficient and functional. From an optical manufacturer's perspective,...Photonics.com 3/4/2024Designing for Manufacturability with Fluorides and Other High Expansion Materials - LaCroix Precision OpticsAs the demand for fluorides and other high expansion materials increases, it is important to understand the risks/challenges involved with these materials and how they affect various factors such as...Photonics.com 11/20/2023Balor sCMOS for Astronomy - Andor TechnologyCapture More. Further. Faster. Balor sCMOS for Astronomy.PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESFreeform OpticsFreeform optics refers to the design and fabrication of optical surfaces that do not follow traditional symmetric shapes, such as spheres or aspheres. Unlike standard optical components with...Angular and Linear Measuring InterferometersAstronomical OpticsScatterometersA scatterometer is an instrument used to determine the absolute or relative scatter levels of optical surfaces.COMPANIESPhotonics Buyers' GuideLaCroix Precision OpticsThe LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have guided LaCroix Precision Optics to become the premier precision optics...Photonics Buyers' GuideShanghai Optics Inc.ISO 9001 & ISO 13485 certified and D&B DUNS # 113515303 Shanghai Optics is an unparalleled custom system solution provider offering advance precision custom optical design, engineering,...Photonics Buyers' GuideFOCtek Photonics Inc.FOCtek provides customers with all types of custom manufactured lenses, Precision Optical Components, Polarizing Optics, Prisms, Filters, Coatings, Optical Systems, Crystals, Nonlinear Crystals,...Photonics Buyers' GuideAndor TechnologyAndor Technology Ltd is a global developer and manufacturer of high-performance scientific cameras, microscopy systems and spectrographs for academic, government, and industrial applications. Founded...