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Ge (Germanium)
Germanium is a high index material that is used to manufacture Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) prisms for spectroscopy. Its refractive index is such that Germanium makes an effective natural 50% beamsplitter without the need for coatings. Germanium is also used extensively as a substrate for production of optical filters. Germanium covers the whole of the 8-14 micron thermal band and is used in lens systems for thermal imaging. Germanium can be AR coated with Diamond producing an extremely tough front optic.
CaF2 (Calcium Fluoride)
Calcium Fluoride has widespread IR application as spectroscopic CaF2 windows, CaF2 prisms and CaF2 lenses. Especially pure grades of Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) find useful application in the UV and as UV Excimer laser windows. Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) is available doped with Europium as a gamma-ray scintillator.
BaF2 (Barium Fluoride)
Barium Fluoride is used in spectroscopic components. Barium Fluoride is often suitable for applications in the passive IR band (8 to 14μm) and is often used as a viewport window for thermography. For an equivalent thickness the transmission extends approximately 1 micron further into the IR than Calcium Fluoride. The highest quality Barium Fluoride also has application as the fastest known scintillator material and is used in High Energy Physics Experiments.
Sapphire (Al2O3)
This article is a general introduction to Sapphire (Al2O3), including the structure and orientations of sapphire, the mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of sapphire, and the sapphire growth method. Charts and curves of technical parameters are also included.