Request InfoOptical Surfaces Ltd.KENLEY, England, Aug. 4, 2020 — Lightweight mirror design techniques from Optical Surfaces Ltd. can reduce the weight of a mirror by as much as 60%. Lightweight mirrors are designed to provide sufficient rigidity to ensure ultra-high precision optical performance while reducing the overall weight of the mirror. This reduced weight allows smaller, lighter support and control structures, reducing the overall cost of optical systems such as space telescopes and spectrographs. It also allows the creation of larger terrestrial telescopes and optical instruments than would be feasible with solid mirrors.See full productRelated content from Photonics MediaPRODUCTSPhotonics Spectra February 2022 IssueAthermalized Beam CollimatorOptical Surfaces Ltd. has announced an athermalized beam collimator design to deliver stable, high performance across a wide temperature range. The collimators are based on a modified off-axis...Photonics.com 12/20/2021Low-profile Mirror Mounting SystemOptical Surfaces Ltd. has announced a versatile mounting system for off-axis parabolic mirrors with smaller diameters. The low-profile system provides a stable platform for parallel or...Photonics Spectra September 2021 IssueBeam ExpandersThe A1-Series of Reflective Beam Expanders from Optical Surfaces Ltd. features an output clear aperture of 75 mm and a selection of magnifications, which are designed for researchers requiring high...Photonics Spectra April 2021 IssueBeam CollimatorsThe LW series of high-performance beam collimators from Optical Surfaces Ltd. is designed for Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) testing of optical systems. Benefiting from a lightweight design...ARTICLESPhotonics Spectra November 2020 IssuePrimary Mirror Completed for NASA’s Roman Space TelescopeThe Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror has been completed, NASA announced. The telescope will have a field of view 100× greater than the Hubble Space Telescope, and it...Photonics.com 7/30/2020Robust Laser Technology Will Enable Satellite to Measure Greenhouse GasThe MERLIN satellite, a collaboration between DLR RfM in Germany and CNES in France, will use a radar-like laser system to measure the methane concentration in Earth’s atmosphere. The...Photonics.com 3/31/2022Photonic Correlator Processes Radio-Frequency Signals, Outperforms Digital MethodsA team at the University of Grenoble Alpes-CNRS has created a radio-frequency (RF) correlator, based on a photonic platform, that is suitable for analog wideband RF signal processing and that enables...Photonics.com 7/26/2021Tunable Approach to Structural Color Powers Displays, Cuts EnergyResearchers at Linköping University have discovered a way to generate structural color that could potentially be applied to the manufacture of low-cost, energy-efficient displays and electronic...PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESPhotonics HandbookNano-Optics Technology: Optical Alchemy: Transforming ordinary materials into extraordinary optics holds the key to progress.Optics 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 Turbulence: For more than three centuries, the Earth’s atmosphere has frustrated astronomers. The layer of gases that we breathe also distorts the images formed by telescopes. This means that conventional telescopes of more than a few centimeters in diameter cannot reach the resolution limit set by their optics.To 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 HandbookBeryllium Mirrors: Refinements Enable New Applications: Beryllium mirrors are finding commercial applications, while maintaining their military and space applications. Refinements in design and improvements in manufacturing technology have cut costs and new coatings have enabled high-power applications allowing a three-fold increase in manufacturing process speeds and economics.With a specific gravity of 1.85 g/cm3, beryllium is the lightest metal that is workable. It is 45 percent lighter than aluminum and approximately five times as stiff. Its stiffness to weight ratio...Photonics HandbookCleaning Optics: Choosing the Best Method: Cleaning optical elements improves performance, providing proper materials, techniques and handling procedures are used to minimize the risk of damage.Optics can be contaminated in many ways. Contamination can be kept to a minimum by returning the optics to their case after use or by covering the optics for protection from the outside environment....WHITEPAPERSPhotonics.com 12/4/2020Multilayer Coating for Extreme Ultraviolet ExperimentsExtreme ultraviolet (EUV) multilayer coatings have been designed and fabricated for many kinds of experiments including high-order harmonics application. In this paper, we present recent results...Photonics.com 11/10/2020PDH Technique with Moku:Lab’s Laser Lock Box — An FPGA-based all-in-one Solution for Laser Frequency LockingThe Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique was first introduced by R.V. Pound, Ronald Drever, and John L. Hall in 1983. It is a widely used method to match the emitting optical frequency of a laser to a...Photonics.com 7/21/2020High Performance SWIR Imaging CamerasSilicon based area detectors (e.g. CCDs or CMOS) are widely used in high-performance imaging applications, detecting wavelengths from soft x-ray through to near infrared (NIR). Typically, the quantum...Photonics.com 8/19/2020Extreme Metrology: Big Science Requires a Nano-perspectiveExtreme metrology represents the cutting edge in technological demand from the material researchers, astronomers, and other physicists whose work demands nearly unattainable precision. Understanding...WEBINARSPhotonics.com 1/22/2020Advancements in Precision Motion Control for Electro-Optical Manufacturing and Laser Materials ProcessingWith a focus on high-throughput/high-yield positioning and microrobotic solutions for leading-edge manufacturing, Scott Jordan and Matt Price from Physik Instrumente (PI) will present the latest...Photonics.com 10/8/2020Intelligent Motion Systems Based on Fast Optimization Algorithms and Hexapod 6-Axis MechanismsPART 1: Hexapods are 6-axis parallel-kinematic machines often employed to solve complex multi-axis precision positioning and motion applications in fields such as photonics, optics, metrology,...Photonics.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 5/10/2022Expanding Implementation of Fast Optimization Technology for Photonics, Optics, and Quantum Manufacturing ApplicationsAlignment time is the largest contributor to the cost of silicon photonics and optical assemblies. New industrial automation technology dramatically shortens the time required to optimally align...PHOTONICS DICTIONARY+ TERMSEDU.photonics.com 1/14/2013magnitudeIn astronomy, the relative brightness of a celestial body. Originally a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 represented the brightest and 6 the faintest visible night sky objects. This scale has been expanded...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009decentration aberrationAn aberration occurring in a lens system when one or more of the centers of curvature of the optical surfaces do not coincide with the system's axis.EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018optical flatA piece of glass, pyrex or quartz having one or both surfaces carefully ground and polished plano, generally flat to less than a tenth of a wavelength. Optical flats are used in surface testing to...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009centrationIn a perfectly centered lens, the mechanical axis (defined by the ground outside the diameter of the lens) is made to be exactly coincident with the optical axis (defined by a line through the...VIDEOSPhotonics.com 11/17/2017Binding Light in Optics and Photonics - LIGHT MATTERS 11.2017Tune into this month's edition of Light Matters for 'Part 1' of an exclusive interview with SPIE CEO, Eugene Arthurs, as he speaks about his upcoming retirement. We’ll also take you to Rochester,...Photonics.com 11/17/2017Light Matters Extra: Lightning Awards Luminate Rochester - 11/2017In this month's Light Matters Extra, we give you an in-depth look at the recent Luminate Lightning Awards. New York’s Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was there and tells us why Luminate is important...Photonics.com 10/26/2017Light Matters Extra: Optifab 2017 - 10.2017In this month's Light Matters Extra, we give you an in-depth look at North America's largest optical fabrication exhibition and show – Optifab 2017. 188 companies filled the showroom floor of the...Photonics.com 10/26/2017Optics and Photonics at the Hub of the Industry - LIGHT MATTERS 10.2017Tune into this month's edition of Light Matters for some of the highlights from Optifab 2017, as distributors and buyers from all over the world met in the photonics industry hub of Rochester, New...PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESFreeform OpticsAstronomical OpticsAstronomical MirrorsAn astronomical mirror is generally a mirror used instead of lenses in astronomical and space applications. It is not limited in size, does not absorb UV or IR radiation, and is usually made aspheric...Astronomical TelescopesAn astronomical telescope is an instrument used to observe celestial bodies. Larger astronomical telescopes use mirrors instead of refracting lenses.COMPANIESPhotonics Buyers' GuideLaCroix Precision OpticsOptics that Defend, Build, Cure and Discover The LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have placed LaCroix Precision Optics...Photonics Buyers' GuideKnight OpticalWe are a trusted leading global figure in the production and distribution of scientific, stock and custom precision optics with over 30 years’ experience providing optical solutions for a huge...Photonics Buyers' GuideShanghai Optics Inc.Shanghai Optics is a leading manufacturer of advanced optical components and optical assemblies. Shanghai Optics is an unparalleled custom optical solution provider offering custom optical design and...Photonics Buyers' GuideMLD Technologies LLCExperts In Thin-film Coating Design We practice a design-before-quote approach to help customers refine specifications and minimize technical risk. We understand how coated optical elements...