Near IR / Mid IR
Our metal mirrors are used for many applications in the near infrared typically 800nm to 5μm wavelength including:
- Fiber and disc lasers.
- Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) - an area of research where gold coated mirrors can be used for multiple wavelength reflection.
- Infra red counter measures (IRCM).
- Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) for spectroscopic applications such as remote sensing of environmental gases and pollutants in the atmosphere.
- Industrial process control and medical diagnostics with IR lamps.
- Multi-pass systems such as Herriott Cells, White Cells and FTIR spectroscopy.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) lasers.
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Mirror types
Our copper mirrors with reflective gold coating offer a broad consistent reflectivity in the infrared spectrum, perfect for fiber and disc laser mirrors working at 1030nm – 1800nm. Gold coated copper mirrors are also ideal for reflecting broad band infrared radiation such as in IR spectroscopy, or where multi-wavelength or tunable laser sources are used.
Gold coated mirrors which combine high reflectivity and chemical inertness, are perfect for QCL applications. Metal mirrors for multi pass gas cells have been a speciality of LBP Optics for more than 20 years.
Our protected silver coated mirrors based on aluminium or copper substrates can give good infrared reflectivity (99%) and visible reflectivity (99%). The visible reflectivity of a silver coated mirror is useful for alignment and adjustment with visible metrology equipment.
The chemical inertness of our gold plated mirrors finds uses in environmental monitoring of gases - such as in chimneys, flues and pipes - and of liquids where other mirror coatings would be destroyed.
Our uncoated molybdenum mirrors are very durable, inert and can withstand high temperatures. Solid uncoated molybdenum is the reflective surface of choice for the harshest of environments.
We regularly repolish and recoat customers’ used mirrors to reduce replacement costs in systems where chemical attack is expected and frequent replacement of optics is needed.
We also manufacture polished stainless steel mirrors for pharmaceutical, foodstuff, brewing and nuclear industries where it is one of the few approved materials for use.
Quality
Glass mirrors can suffer laser damage with high power fiber lasers and coatings optimised for 1064nm and Nd:YAG lasers may not function at 1030nm, 1070nm, 1073nm and other wavelengths. Dust on the mirror face will cause a glass mirror to crack from the localised absorbed heat, whereas our copper mirror substrates sink away the heat from localised hot spots caused by absorbing debris.
LBP Optics’ unique, super smooth chemically polished metal mirrors are ideal for the near IR region. We can also post polish machined metal mirrors to reduce or eliminate spatial frequencies that cause scatter.