Optical windows are made with optically flat, transparent optical material that allows light into an instrument. These windows should be chosen based on the material transmission or mechanical properties of the substrate. For instance, BK7 Window is a high-quality optical glass commonly used for windows, lenses, and prisms and for thermally non-critical applications. Most manufacturers offer a wide variety of optical windows made from materials like N-BK7, Fused Silica, Sapphire, Germanium, Zinc Selenide, Calcium Fluoride, and Magnesium Fluoride. They also provide anti-reflection coated optical windows to improve the transmission from the UV to IR wavelength regime.
UV and IR Windows are used to achieve optimal performance in the Ultraviolet (UV) and Infrared (IR) spectrums. These windows are made of different kinds of materials in suitable spectral range and commonly shielded with dedicated AR coating to minimize reflection.
UV windows are often used with laser instruments or other applications in medical, industrial, and defense areas. Most manufacturers help you in choosing the best substrates, UV coatings, and other optical properties and custom manufacturers’ windows to best meet your specific requirements and applications. It is very important to choose the proper optic for an ultraviolet application to attain the success of your setup. If you select shorter wavelengths, any flaws or coating impurities on the optical surface may create a hot spot on the optic. It is also important to consider that proper and keen attention to make the best UV optics possible. You can get an anti-reflective (AR) coating for one or both surfaces.
IR Windows are also known as viewports or viewing panes and the ideal IR window is one that enables all infrared radiation to pass through it with zero losses. Such windows are typically used for separating environments of varied pressures or temperatures while allowing light energy at a specified electromagnetic wavelength to pass between the two environments. These windows are made up of special panes of transparent and infrared material set in a frame. IR window has transparent material that allows thermal imaging of the component inside the electrical enclosure or equipment. Such windows are often used in FLIR, FTIR spectroscopy, medical systems, thermal imaging, or other optics applications within the infrared light spectrum. There are different materials used for manufacturing infrared windows depending on the wavelength observed. Infrared light can consist of near IR (NIR), short-wavelength (SWIR), mid wavelength (MWIR), long-wavelength (LWIR), and far-infrared (FIR). Some of the commonly used transmitting materials for infrared windows include calcium fluoride, barium fluoride, zinc selenide, infrared polymer, zinc selenide, germanium, sapphire or single crystal alumina, spinel (magnesium aluminate, MgAl2O4), and yttria. IR windows are the most used in thermography or infrared imaging applications for the detection of hot spots that occur due to electrical failures; faults; or thermal leakage in electrical distribution equipment, circuit breakers, switches, switchboards, switchgear, transformers, etc. These windows are popularly used to protect employees and equipment. They also enable us to inspect live energized components and connections inside of an electrical cabinet without any need to remove their covers. When these windows are used for any industrial application, it is important to meet the strength and environmental requirements for the equipment in which they are fitted. These windows come in a variety of shapes and the sizes like square, round, rectangular, or custom sizes.
Custom UV windows and IR windows are popularly used in a variety of industrial applications available in multiple anti-reflection coating or substrate options. There are many reputed manufacturers engaged in manufacturing high-quality custom UV grade windows and IR windows for a range of applications, industries, and sectors.
