G H DAF4xQVTa7I Waveplates for Optics User Guide

G H DAF4xQVTa7I Waveplates for Optics

Specifications

• Manufactured by: G&H
• Headquarters: Ilminster Somerset, UK
• Operations: USA and Europe
• Global Reach: Yes
• Manufacturing Locations: UK and USA
• Employees: Over 1,000
• Product Types: Lenses, mirrors, prisms, beamsplitters, waveplates, custom assemblies, etc.

Product Usage Instructions

Custom Components
G&H offers custom components to efficiently move from prototype to volume production. Follow these steps:

1. Contact G&H with your product design requirements.
2. Select the components needed for your application.
3. Collaborate with G&H experts on manufacturing and design specifics.
4. Receive your custom components and integrate them into your product.

Custom Assemblies
For custom assemblies, G&H provides expertise in optical design, mechanical and electrical engineering. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Discuss your assembly requirements with G&H’s technical sales team.
2. Work with G&H engineers on the design and manufacturing process.
3. Ensure compliance with ITAR regulations for sensitive applications.
4. Receive your custom assembly ready for integration.

Quality Control & Metrology
G&H prioritizes quality control to meet exacting specifications. Follow these guidelines:

1. Verify compliance with ISO standards (ISO 13485, ISO 9001, ISO 14001).
2. Understand the quality systems applicable to your industry (e.g., MIL-SPEC, AS 9100).
3. Ensure that state-of-the-art metrology equipment is used for measurement.
4. Review the quality reports provided by G&H for your parts and assemblies.

FAQ

• Q: Where are G &H products manufactured?
  A: G&H products are manufactured in the UK and the USA across multiple facilities.

• Q: How can I contact G &H for sales inquiries?
  A: You can reach out to G&H via phone at +44 1460 256440 or email at sales@gandh.com.

• Q: Does G &H offer custom manufacturing capabilities?
  A: Yes, G&H provides custom manufacturing services for components and assemblies tailored to specific requirements.

G&H: A PHOTONICS SPECIALIST

G&H solves complex challenges for our customers by developing innovative photonics solutions that enhance performance, reliability, and efficiency. We are an award-winning name in the photonics industry with global reach and an established heritage dating back 75 years.
Emerging applications increasingly employ photonics as the enabler. Our customers require specialized, reliable and high-performance solutions. G&H pushes the boundaries in these key areas and provides differentiating product solutions. We maintain close and long-lasting relationships with our customers.
G&H is a photonics technology business headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with operations in the USA and Europe.

A BETTER WORLD WITH PHOTONICS.
Gooch & Housego PLC Dowlish Ford, Ilminster TA19 0PF , UK
Contact us:
+44 1460 256440 sales@gandh.com
gandh.com

BROAD GLOBAL EXPERTISE

MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES

CUSTOM COMPONENTS
G&H moves you efficiently from prototype to volume production. We support your product design to meet your requirements.

• Lenses, mirrors, prisms, beamsplitters, waveplates, and more
• Build-to-print manufacturing
• Expertise in demanding applications like space, defense, submarine, and medical
• USA and UK manufacturing

CUSTOM ASSEMBLIES
Our optical design, mechanical and electrical engineering, assembly, and technical sales teams have amassed unparalleled experience in custom assemblies.

• Electro-optics, medical devices, periscopes, infrared systems, microscope electro-optic objectives, and more
• Design and manufacturing for the most demanding applications, e.g. the battlefield
• ITAR manufacturing capabilities

QUALITY CONTROL & METROLOGY
We have invest in premium measurement equipment to ensure our customers’ parts and assemblies meet the most exacting of specifications.

• State-of-the-art metrology
• ISO 13485, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, MIL-SPEC quality systems, AS 9100
• All systems needed for medical, aerospace, and defense

MIRRORS
We are a leading provider of superpolished optical components for 40+ years, offering a proprietary process that caters to high volume production requirements as well as small volume, specialized applications. These superpolished substrates result in low scattering losses and significantly fewer defects. We provide custom high-reflectivity mirrors that offer superior performance and value to customers developing laser cavities, ranging from small and lightweight range finding lasers to industrial lasers.

• Manufacturing in the US and UK
• High laser damage (LIDT)
• Super polished mirrors with 99.9995% specular reflectivity

| Commercial| Precision                        High Precision| Ultra High Precision
---|---|---|---
Dimension| 1 – 600mm
Dimension tolerance| ±0.25mm| ±0.25mm                         ±0.1mm| ±0.05mm
Flatnesss| 4 – 6λ| λ / 4                              λ / 10| λ / 50
Surface quality| 80 – 50| 40 – 20                            10 – 5| 0 – 0
Surface roughness| –| –                               <1Å RMS| <1Å RMS
Coating options| Metallic, broad band dielectric, ultra low loss dielectric, laser coating, hard coating
Reflectivity| 85% – 99.9995%
Wavelength range| 190nm – 40µm
Substrate options| Metal, glass, crystal, ceramic, polymer
Optical surface| Flat, spherical, aspherical, off axis, freeform
Common geometries| Round, elliptical, polygonal, rectangular, parabolic
Other| Light weighting, assembly, optical contacting

APPLICATIONS

• Laser cavities, e.g. ring laser gyros
• Direct energy weapons
• Missiles
• Satellites and airplanes
• Medical devices, including consumables

KEY METROLOGY

• Cavity ring down spectrometer (CRDS)
• Interferometers ranging 4″ – 18″
• White light
• interferometers Atomic force microscopes

KEY EQUIPMENT

• Super polisher for parts up to 18″
• Glass mills for complex precision shapes
• Magnetorheological finishing (MRF)
• IBS and IAD coating capabilities

PRISMS

• G&H is a high-quality manufacturer of prisms. Although they appear to have a simple function, their manufacture is actually quite complex. Each surface of a G&H prism that is polished and coated is held to extremely precise angular tolerances with respect to the other surfaces.
• Prisms are critical components in optical systems that utilize their bending or refracting properties to bend, fold, invert, reinvert, displace, and deviate light. While not used as frequently as lenses and mirrors, their role is essential. The manufacturing of prisms is challenging, as every surface and its angular tolerances to the whole are difficult to maintain during polishing and coating. This process requires complex tooling that is as difficult to manufacture and maintain as the prism itself.

To ensure reliable performance in the field, we employ advanced metrology capabilities to qualify every component at each stage of the manufacturing process. G&H has ISO9001 certifications across all manufacturing sites and AS9100C certifications across select facilities. Durability testing can be performed against MIL, DIN, or BSI standards as appropriate.

• Manufacturing in the UK
• Precise angular tolerances

Dimension                                                                   5 – 150mm| 5 – 30mm
Dimension tolerance ±0.1| ±0.01
Flatnesss λ / 5| λ / 20
Surface quality 40 – 20| 10 – 5
Per surface angle tolerance                                          ±1 arcmin| ±2 arcsec
Beam deviation                                                            2 arcmin| ±1 arcsec
Substrate options Fused silica, glasses, germanium, silicon, ZnS

APPLICATIONS

• Laser cavities
• Laser rangefinders
• Dermatology
• Periscopes
• Optical interferometry
• Spectroscopy
• Biomedical

KEY METROLOGY

• Trioptics Prism Master
• 6″ and 18″ Zygo interferometers (1/50th wave accuracy flatness RWE and TWE)
• CNC Smartscope

KEY EQUIPMENT & PROCESSES

• DMG Ultrasonic 50 CNC
• Optical contacting
• 18″ – 48″ lap polishers
• Custom designed in-house glass tooling

BEAMSPLITTERS

G&H’s optimized beamsplitters are engineered to have a high laser damage threshold for each unique wavelength, splitting ratio, and incident angle combination. We offer both cube and plate beamsplitters that are engineered for precise beam splitting and optimal performance.
Cube beamsplitters can split the incident beam based on polarization or power ratio, and are mechanically durable and easy to mount, without any ghost beams. Our cube beamsplitters can be provided in cemented, optically contacted, or air-spaced forms, depending on your needs.
If you need higher beam power handling capability, our plate beamsplitters are the way to go. They exhibit intrinsic advantages over cube beamsplitters, making them ideal for high-energy laser applications or where size and weight limits are a concern. While plate beamsplitters generate a beam offset dependent upon the thickness of the substrate, our anti-reflection coating on the exit surface can minimize ghost beams.

• Manufacturing in the UK
• High laser damage threshold for each unique wavelength, splitting ratio, and incident angle combination
• Cube beamsplitters and plate beamsplitters

Dimension                                                                   5 – 150mm| 5 – 50mm
Dimension tolerance ±0.1| ±0.01
Beam deviation                                                            ±1 arcmin| ±2 arcsec
Polarizing extinction ratio 100:1| 500:1
Beam splitting ratio (R%/T%) 5/95 to 90/10
Ratio tolerance ±10%| ±6%
Wavelength range 355nm – 2500m

APPLICATIONS

• Laser cavities
• Metrology
• Dermatology
• Optical interferometry
• Targeting
• Biomedical

KEY METROLOGY

• Essent PhotonRT; dual beam dispersive with variable angle and polarization
• Perkin Elmer 983G; IR dual beam dispersive, near normal AOI only
• Perkin Elmer Frontier Optica; FTIR designed for IR optics industry

KEY EQUIPMENT

• Humidity and temperature cycling
• Calibrated abrasion and adhesion test kits
• 3rd party laser damage testing

LENSES

Precision lenses are crucial optical components for a wide range of applications in industries such as aerospace, security, defense, machine vision, healthcare, and life science. At G&H, we specialize in the manufacturing of custom lenses for imaging, focusing, collimation, and illumination purposes, utilizing standard polishing and grinding techniques, as well as single-point diamond turning.
Applications for our precision lenses include dental imaging, dermatology, endoscopy, hyperspectral imaging, lasers, machine vision inspection, metrology, optometry, projection, range finding, reconnaissance, surveillance, target identification, targeting and designating, and thermal imaging.

Design for manufacture
Our lens production process follows a design-for-manufacture approach, ensuring the production of cost-effective, high-quality custom lenses. We have CNC generating, grinding, and polishing capabilities for spherical, semi- spherical, and aspheric lenses, including high-precision aspheric surfaces on optical glass produced using 5-axis grinding and polishing machines.

Complex shapes on lenses
G&H has a unique capability of manufacturing complex shapes on lenses, such as step profiles or off-axis shapes. In addition to singlets, we also produce a wide variety of doublets, triplets, and more complex lens assemblies. Our extensive metrology equipment investments guarantee that our customers receive high-performing, quality products.

Environmental testing
We offer guarantees for adhesion, abrasion, humidity, and temperature, with on-site environmental testing available. Other tests are also available upon request, making us a reliable partner for high-quality and custom precision lenses.

• Manufacturing in the UK
• Extensive range of visible and IR materials

APPLICATIONS

• Laser rangefinders
• Direct energy weapons
• Missiles
• Satellites
• Airplanes

KEY METROLOGY

• QED stitching interferometer
• Interferometers ranging 4″ to 18″
• White light interferometer
• Talysurf PGI 1240 / 1250
• Trioptics Opticentric Dual

KEY EQUIPMENT

• 3x Moore Nanotech 250 & 1x 450
• Satisloh SPM/SPS 30, 60, & SPM125
• Optotech SM/SPK 50, 100, & 150
• Satisloh C-50 & 300 freeform centering
• Q-Flex magnetorheological finishing (MRF)

Precision
---|---|---
Dimension| 4 – 300mm| 4 – 100mm
Dimension tolerance| ±0.05| ±0.025
Radius| 3.0mm to infinity
Form error| λ / 2| λ / 4
Surface quality| 40 – 20| 20 – 10
Substrate sample| Silicon, germanium, ZnSe, ZnS, CaF2, BaF2, chalcogenides

WINDOWS

Optical windows are a critical component in a variety of applications which require minimal optical impact with maximum mechanical separation between two environments.
Our high-quality optical windows demonstrate exceptional parallelism, very low surface roughness, minimal transmitted and reflected wavefront errors, and high optical transparency in the operational wavelength range. The choice of window material depends on environmental factors like acidity of the atmosphere, strong vacuums, high pressures, or high temperatures, as well as the operational wavelength range.
Our optical windows are utilized in lasers, testing chambers, and other systems where the environment on one side may be pressurized, filled with a specific gas, or otherwise need to be chemically separated from the other. We provide defense-grade windows that are not only significantly larger but also coated with diamond-like coatings to withstand abrasive environments, particularly in the desert.

• Windows for industrial and defense applications
• High parallelism, low surface roughness, low transmitted and reflected wavefront errors
• Optically transparent at the operational wavelength range

Precision                                                High Precision

Dimension| 5 – 500mm                                              5 – 100mm
Dimension tolerance| ±0.1 ±0.01
Flatnesss| λ / 8                                                      λ / 20
Surface quality| 40 – 20                                                    10 – 5
Parallelism| ±1 arcmin                                               ±2 arcsec
Coating options| High LDT, high transmission, broadband or V-coat anti- reflection, DLC & ITO
Substrate options| Fused silica, glass, Ge, silicon, sapphire, ZnS

APPLICATIONS

• Lasers
• Testing chambers
• Military vehicles

KEY METROLOGY

• White light interferometers
• 6″ & 18″ Zygo interferometers (1/50th wave accuracy flatness RWE & TWE)
• CNC Smartscope
• Heidenhain CT60

KEY EQUIPMENT & PROCESSES

• Q-Flex magnetorheological finishing (MRF)
• Lap Master Wolters AC1500-L
• Engis high pressure lap polisher
• 18″ – 48″ lap polishers
• Optical contacting

WAVEPLATES

From crystal growth, crystal orientation and cutting, to waveplate fabrication and coating, no other waveplate supplier has as much control over the fabrication stages as G&H. As the world’s only entirely vertically integrated CdS, CdSe, and KDP waveplate producer, we deliver accurate performance for demanding applications. Our control over crystal growth benefits customers who need larger sizes, high laser damage threshold performance, or more accurate retardation tolerances.
For all wavelength ranges, we orient, cut, and polish the optical crystals for waveplate production. Polishing, coating, assembly, and metrology complete the manufacturing process. G&H has IS09001 certifications across all manufacturing facilities and AS9100C certifications across select facilities.

• The world’s only entirely vertically integrated CdS, CdSe, and KDP waveplate producer
• From crystal growth to waveplate fabrication and coating
• Tight internal controls enable better retardation tolerances within and between production runs

| UV-VIS, Precision| UV-VIS, High Precision| IR Waveplates
---|---|---|---
Dimension| 5 – 150mm| 5 – 65mm| 4 – 29mm
Dimension tolerance| ±0.1| ±0.01| ±0.01
Flatnesss| λ / 5| λ / 20| λ / 20
Surface quality| 40 – 20| 10 – 5| 40 – 20
Parallelism| ±1 arcmin| ±2 arcsec| ±1 arcmin
Types| Multi order, zero order, achromatic
Wavelengths| 193nm – 2µm| 3µm – 12µm
Substrate options| Crystal quartz, Mgf2, sapphire| CdS, CdSe, CdS/CdSe stack

APPLICATIONS

• Optical isolation
• Laser power control and attenuation
• Polarimetry
• Remote sensing
• Surveillance
• Fusion laser systems

KEY METROLOGY

• 6″ & 18″ Zygo interferometers
• (1/50th wave accuracy flatness RWE & TWE)
• Heidenhain CT60
• Spectrometers

KEY EQUIPMENT & PROCESSES

• Optical contacting
• Lap Master Wolters AC1500-L
• Engis Hyprez high pressure lap polisher
• 18″ – 48″ lap polishers

LENS ASSEMBLIES & SIGHTS

G&H possesses extensive capabilities in optical design, engineering, prototyping, and production. Its team of skilled optical engineers employ state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) tools to create precise and efficient optical solutions. The company’s contemporary manufacturing facility is equipped with advanced production and testing equipment, which enables efficient and high-quality production of optical systems. These systems incorporate various optical components, including lenses, mirrors, and other elements, to produce complete systems tailored to meet specific customer needs.
Our team of experts has earned a reputation as a trusted industry leader, delivering innovative and state-of-the-art optical solutions to a diverse customer base. We collaborate closely with each client to comprehend their distinct application and devise a personalized solution to address their needs. Our experts are capable of providing guidance and assistance to your organization in several areas, such as optical and opto-mechanical design, prototyping, and system production, among others.

• Proof of concept feasibility studies
• Prototyping
• In-house assembly and testing
• Managed production
• Project and program management

We provide both off-the-shelf and custom lens systems that are compatible with a broad range of commercial cameras and sensors. Our off-the-shelf lens systems are proven solutions with a low lead times, please contact us for the current stock list. If our off-the-shelf products don’t meet your requirements, please get in touch with us and we will help you to find a solution.

• VIS, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR zoom assemblies
• Standard vision block periscope systems
• Electronic, fused, and reversionary periscope systems
• Sabre family of multi-sensor sighting systems
• DEW mechanical assemblies

APPLICATIONS

• Armored vehicles, including
• Challenger 3 and AJAX
• UAV gimbals and C-UAS
• Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
• Space imaging

KEY EQUIPMENT & PROCESSES

• Opto-mechanical design
• Opto-electrical design
• Sensor integration
• MWIR interferometers

POLYMER OPTICS

G&H manufactures custom precision polymer optical components, including integrated features, for photonics applications. Our customers use our products in illumination, imaging, scanning, and detection applications. The various markets we support include medical device, AR/VR/HUD, defense, and machine vision.
The G&H engineering and production staff provide guidance with optics, mechanical design, design for manufacturability, single point diamond turning, injection molding, thin film coating, assembly operations, and metrology to ensure customer program moves from concept to market in minimal time and on budget.

APPLICATIONS

• Illumination
• Imaging
• Scanning
• Detection

KEY METROLOGY

• Bruker® Contour GT-K1 3D Optical
• Microscope
• Zygo Verifire™ XPZ interferometer
• Zeiss Micura CMM with VAST XT
• Gold Sensor
• Zeiss Surfcom 3000A
• Mitutoyo Bright 504 CMM
• OGP Flash 302
• Wells Research OS210B Optical
• Tests Bench

KEY EQUIPMENT

• 18 molding systems from 30 to 220 tons capacity producing part diameters from 3 – 150mm
• Preitech Nanoform 200 and NanoX system can be used to manufacture elements up to 200mm in diameter
• Fully automated CITATION I™ precision optical box coater
• 1,000 ft² class 10,000 clean room (ISO 7)

FILTERS & COATINGS

• Thin-film optical coatings from 193nm – 14µm
• 40 coating chambers globally
• Manufacturing in the UK and US
• Capabilities include narrow bandpass, notch, mirror, AR, beamsplitter, and DLC

OPTICAL COATING CAPABILITIES

Dimensions (diameter or square)| 2 – 600mm
Reflectivity| 0.1 – 99.999%
Anti-reflective wavelength range| 193 – 14,000nm
Highly-reflective wavelength range| 248 – >40,000nm
DLC Hard Carbon wavelength| 3-5µm & 8-12µm on Ge, Si and ZnSe
Shortpass filter cut-off wavelength| 400nm – 12.5µm
Longpass filter cut-on wavelength| 240nm – 12.5µm
Bandpass filter CWL, OD, and bandwidth| 193 – 10,600nm, >OD 7, 1nm – Broadband
Notch filter CWL| 355 – 1064nm
Reflective ND filter OD| OD 0.1 – OD 4
Filter center wavelength (CWL) tolerance| ±1nm
Filter edge tolerances| <1% deviation, <0.2% special cases
Beamsplitter (BS) wavelength range| 355 – 2,500nm
BS polarization extinction ratio (S:P)| 500:1
Laser damage threshold (LDT)| >60 J/cm² @ 1064nm @ 20ns @ 20Hz pulses, measured
Durability| MIL-PRF-138308 APP C, PARA C3.8.4, C.3.8.5, MIL-C-48497A, MIL-C- 48497a, ISO 9211, ISO 9022

APPLICATIONS

• AFV periscopes
• Aviation cockpits
• Ophthalmic surgery equipment
• Satellite payloads
• Industrial laser welding
• Laser scanning

KEY METROLOGY

• UV, VIS, and IR spectrometers
• 4 point conductivity probe
• MIL standard temperature and
• humidity chambers

KEY EQUIPMENT & PROCESSES

• Thin-film design including bespoke
• HUD design software
• PVD, CVD, and IBS coating platforms
• Laser test to MILT-DTL-62422
• TS1888 DLC test bench

sales@gandh.com
For more information on POLYMERS, visit www.gandh.com/polymer- optics
For more information on COATINGS, visit gandh.com/optical- coatings
gandh.com

References

• Optics and Photonics | G&H
• G&H Technologies: Optical coatings
• G&H Products: Optical Windows and Flats
• G&H Products: Beamsplitters | Plate and Cube
• G&H Products: Polymer Optics
• G&H Product: Precision Lenses | Custom Lenses
• G&H Products: Precision Optical Mirrors
• G&H Products: Precision Optical Prisms
• G&H Products: Waveplates for Optics

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