Technology
As scientists-turned-engineers,* we continually push our optics capabilities and metrology beyond industry limits—delivering critical components to the most challenging of optics problems.
One of our core strengths stems from our background in metrology: the sensing, measuring, and controlling of laser light. By combining this core strength with our experience in building precision measurement instrumentation, we have pushed the optics-manufacturing limits to the nanometer level—while maintaining scalability to higher volumes. We combine state-of-the-art measurements with innovative processes to achieve industry-leading tolerances on optical components. Our capabilities include ultrahigh tolerances down to one-nanometer precisions, highly robust and repeatable epoxy-free optical bonding, and durable and dense ion-beam-sputtered dielectric coatings.
Our proprietary metrology systems can measure, in a matter of minutes, the dimensions of a 3" optic to an absolute accuracy of ±20 nm (a five-times improvement over industry standards) and a precision of ±0.3 nm (a 50-times improvement over industry standards). These high-precision methods enable us to manufacture optics with ±1-nm optical thickness accuracies. They also make lower-cost, scalable, wafer-based production possible—allowing us to provide a large volume of high-quality ultraprecise parts at competitive pricing.
Our metrology is key to production of precision optical ices such as etalons, interleavers, multi-channel dispersion compensators, and frequency references. The measurement technology can be further extended to characterize the dispersion of materials. Our customers have the comfort of knowing that the products they buy meet specifications and are backed-up by the best metrology available.
Precision Photonics—When Every Nanometer Counts™
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* Our technical team draws on both the solid techniques eloped in the advanced laser labs of NIST and creativity inspired at JILA on the University of Colorado campus. Two of our researchers were directly involved in the work on Bose Einstein Condensation at JILA that won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics.