CaF₂ with unsurpassed properties
Fluorite is exceptionally valuable for chromatic correction because it combines very low dispersion with pronounced anomalous partial dispersion and a substantially higher Abbe number than fluorophosphate glasses.
Advantages over fluorophosphate glasses
In combination with suitably selected mating glasses, fluorite enables extremely broadband correction of spherical aberration and spherochromatism; the usable spectral range is then limited primarily by the transmission of the optical glasses.
Transmission from VUV to IR
Another important property of CaF₂ is its high transmission over a very broad spectral range, approximately 130 nm to 10 µm depending on substrate thickness.
CaF₂ – an ideal optical material
Fluorite is physically and chemically stable and offers good resistance to water and many chemicals.
Fluorite optics up to 400 mm aperture
Because CaF₂ is available in substantially larger dimensions than many FK or ED glasses, fluorite optics with apertures up to 400 mm can be produced.
CaF₂ for VUV, UV, VIS and IR
APQ JENA offers CaF₂ blanks and components in various optical grades and to customer-specific specifications for applications including microscopes, telescopes, astronomical refractors, spectrometers, 4 K/8 K imaging lenses and excimer-laser systems:
- VUV CaF₂
- UV CaF₂
- UV VIS IR CaF₂
Optical quality
birefringence:
on request
¹ at 157 nm
² 193 nm
Specification
Optical quality
birefringence:
on request
³ at 193 nm
⁴ 248 nm
Specification
Optical quality
birefringence:
on request
⁵ at 546 nm