hot mirror

[Thomas Aabo]

I am looking for a hot mirror that has to be able to completely reflect (0 degree incident angle) a 1070 nm laser while still having as close to 90% transmission in the WHOLE VIS (400-700 nm) area. Any suggestions?

regards
Thomas

[Oshel, Philip Eugene]

Thomas,

I had to make one of these once for a client. We used a projector
bulb, highly reflective in the visible but dichroic, so it passed the
IR (so as not to burn up film). The back of the bulb mirror (not the
inside, don't want to coat the bulb) was coated with gold in a
sputter coater* for ca. 15 minutes. This produced a thick enough
coating to reflect the IR. I never got word on % reflection, whether
it was 100%, or e.g. 50%, but the client seemed satisfied.
Alternatively, the bulb good be covered with aluminum foil, and the
front surface of the mirror coated.
A gold/palladium alloy should also work, and would be cheaper.
This was at ~100mtorr pressure and 10mA current if I remember
correctly. You may need longer times and different pressure or
current.

Note: This has to be done in stages. The sputter coater cathode will
get **very** hot, and the bulb will also be heated. Our coater got
hot enough to break down the epoxy around the electrical pass-through
to the cathode.

*Your local SEM lab will have a sputter coater, or a
physics/chemistry lab that does thin-film deposition.

Phil

>I am looking for a hot mirror that has to be able to completely
>reflect (0 degree incident angle) a 1070 nm laser while still having
>as close to 90% transmission in the WHOLE VIS (400-700 nm) area. Any
>suggestions?
>
>regards
>Thomas

--
Philip Oshel
Microscopy Facility Supervisor
Biology Department
024C Brooks Hall
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
[phone]

[S. Brunet]

Hello:

I would look at high power reflectors for lasers.  The 1064nm area should have
plenty to offer.

CVI makes a lot of optics with options.  I have not ordered from them recently
(optic companies keep buying each other).  No financial interest.

Good luck!
Sophie
____________________________________________________
Sophie M. K. Brunet, Ph. D.
Research Officer
Optical Spectroscopy, Laser Systems and Applications
[hidden email]
306-966-1719 (office)   306-966-1702 (fax)
____________________________________________________
Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre
University of Saskatchewan
Thorvaldson Bldg.
110 Science Place
Saskatoon, Sk   S7N 5C9
____________________________________________________


Quoting Thomas Aabo <[hidden email]>:

> I am looking for a hot mirror that has to be able to completely reflect (0
> degree incident angle) a 1070 nm laser while still having as close to 90%
> transmission in the WHOLE VIS (400-700 nm) area. Any suggestions?
>
> regards
> Thomas
>

[Craig Brideau]

I'm having almost this exact thing made for me by a company called BMV
Optical in Ottawa, Canada.  They do custom coating work and are
willing to do small batches. (i.e. one or two items).  I've had a
number of things made by the company for me and have always been
impressed with the quality.  They also give you a detailed wavefront
and spectral readout of anything they make for you.

(no commercial interest, just a satisfied customer)

Craig


On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 8:25 AM, S. Brunet <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hello:
>
> I would look at high power reflectors for lasers.  The 1064nm area should have
> plenty to offer.
>
> CVI makes a lot of optics with options.  I have not ordered from them recently
> (optic companies keep buying each other).  No financial interest.
>
> Good luck!
> Sophie
> ____________________________________________________
> Sophie M. K. Brunet, Ph. D.
> Research Officer
> Optical Spectroscopy, Laser Systems and Applications
> [hidden email]
> 306-966-1719 (office)   306-966-1702 (fax)
> ____________________________________________________
> Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre
> University of Saskatchewan
> Thorvaldson Bldg.
> 110 Science Place
> Saskatoon, Sk   S7N 5C9
> ____________________________________________________
>
>
> Quoting Thomas Aabo <[hidden email]>:
>
>> I am looking for a hot mirror that has to be able to completely reflect (0
>> degree incident angle) a 1070 nm laser while still having as close to 90%
>> transmission in the WHOLE VIS (400-700 nm) area. Any suggestions?
>>
>> regards
>> Thomas
>>
>