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UltravioletPhotography

[LENS] Approximate Transmission Ranges of Various Lens Glass


Andrea B.

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Last Update: 06 March 2015 17:30 GMT: Changed title and added a chart.

 

Just a few notes-to-self about glass. Thought I'd go ahead and post them in case you want an approximate transmission range.

 

Newport: http://www.newport.c...33/content.aspx

Sinclari: http://www.sinclairm...s/optical3.html

Edmund: OPTICAL GLASS SPECIFICATIONS

 

Fused silica: lenses, optics, high temp apps.

Silica, SiO2.
Hard, very low thermal expansion, resists high temps.
Transmits approximately between
195 - 2100nm

 

 

Soda-lime: windows, containers/glassware

Silica + sodium oxide + lime + magnesia.
Easily formed, high thermal expansion, poorly resistant to heat.
Container glass has more Al/Ca and less Na/Mg.
Transmits approximately between
350 - 2000nm

 

 

Borosilicate: cookware, chemical reagents, mirrors.

Silica + boric oxide + soda + alumina.
Fairly hard, low thermal expansion, Pyrex.
Transmits approx between
380 - 2100nm.
(Is this range for borosilicate B7?)
 
From John Dowdy: Borosilicate transmits quite a bit lower than 380nm,

 

 

Calcium fluoride: lenses, laser optics.

Fluorite, CaF2.
Non-birefringent, high thermal expansion, don't use in hot environment.
Low index of refraction, anti-reflection coatings not needed.
Transmits approximately between
170 - 8000 nm.

 

 

Magnesium fluoride: lenses, windows, laser polarizers.

MgF2.
Birefringent, useful in fluorine environments, moderate thermal expansion.
Low index of refraction, anti-reflection coatings not needed.
Transmits approximately between
150 - 6500 nm.

 

 

Zinc selenide: thermal imaging, medical IR imaging.

ZnSe.
Soft, scratchable, resistant to thermal shock.
High index of refraction, needs anti-reflection coating.
Transmits approximately between
600 - 16000 nm.

 

 

Sapphire

Transmits approximately between
100 280? - 600 nm?

 

 

Lead-oxide: crystal glassware and decorative ware.

Silica + lead oxide + potassium oxide + soda + zinc oxide + alumina.
Dense, elastic, high refractive index, cannot stand high heat.

 

 

Alumino-silicate: fiberglass, in plastics.

Silica + alumina + lime + magnesia + barium oxide + boric oxide.

 

 

Oxide: fiber optics.

Silica + germanium oxide.
Very clear.
From Enrico Savazzi: Germanium (admittedly, not a glass but a metalloid) was used in the past to make IR lenses. Better alternatives are used today, since Germanium is sensitive to surface degradation. It transmits well between 6.5 and 13 micrometers (not nm), but has several narrow transmission windows also at shorter wavelengths.
 
 
Schott WG Glass:  See later posts.
Looks good.

 

 

 

Here's a nice chart from Edmund Optics: Link to Original Page

(More charts in posts below.)

Fig_4tcgfia_lrg.gif

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enricosavazzi
Germanium (admittedly, not a glass but a metalloid) was used in the past to make IR lenses. Better alternatives are used today, since Germanium is sensitive to surface degradation. It transmits well between 6.5 and 13 micrometers (not nm), but has several narrow transmission windows also at shorter wavelengths.
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Thanks, gentlemen !

 

The borosilicate trans chart shown was for B7 I think. I will add a note.

 

And also a note about the Germanium. Twice I've written Geranium !! :P

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I have a thermoelectrically cooled Germanium detector for an IR spectroradiometer.

 

I also have a Geranium detector with optional cool crumb sweeper. :P

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I have been using a number of different clear glass types on my new filter. Fused Quartz is available in different transmission capabilities, as is fused silica.

 

Schott sells a fused silica as Lithosil in differing grades.

post-19-0-38067200-1424032842.jpg

 

post-19-0-29305100-1424032940.jpg

 

see https://www.thorlabs...ata%20Sheet.pdf

 

Here is a good comparison graphic

post-19-0-36224100-1424033249_thumb.gif

 

Below are the curves for GE fused quartz. The GE 124 is a defacto industry standard for optical windows.

 

post-19-0-49894700-1424033524.jpg

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  • 10 months later...
Here is a catalog of modern glass from LZOS factory in Russia: http://lzos.ru/content/view/77/29/ And although the list is in Russian language, the leftmost column list current glass type names which themselves are links to spec sheets in English. These spec. sheets, among other things, provide internal transmission for 10mm and 25mm thickness for all glass types. Not all spec. sheets have detailed transmission data for 300-400nm range. Note also that the table lists equivalent (not identical) glass types for Schott (Шотт), Corning (Корнинг Франс), Hoya (Хойя) and Ohara (Охара).
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Here is a catalog of modern glass from LZOS factory in Russia: http://lzos.ru/content/view/77/29/ And although the list is in Russian language, the leftmost column list current glass type names which themselves are links to spec sheets in English. These spec. sheets, among other things, provide internal transmission for 10mm and 25mm thickness for all glass types. Not all spec. sheets have detailed transmission data for 300-400nm range. Note also that the table lists equivalent (not identical) glass types for Schott (Шотт), Corning (Корнинг Франс), Hoya (Хойя) and Ohara (Охара).

 

Thank you for the link

 

At the top of the page is an English language button. Here is a link to the same table in English:

 

http://lzos.ru/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54

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More than likely they will fluoresce to UV.

 

For 10mm sections of glass:

 

KF6 undoped crown has 50% cutoff at ~315nm

 

LK5 fluor doped crown 50% cutoff at ~337nm.

LK6 fluor doped crown 50% cutoff at ~325nm.

LK7 fluor doped crown 50% cutoff at ~315nm.

 

K8 borosilicate crown 50% cutoff at ~320nm.

 

CTK7 lanthanum doped crown 50% cutoff at ~337nm.

CTK9 tantalum doped crown, 50% cutoff at ~355nm.

CTK19 tantalum doped crown, 50% cutoff at ~342nm.

 

It appears lanthinum and tantalum doped glass can work but are not as good as other glass types. Of course that would depend on whether the doped lenses can be designed to compensate for the reduced transmission and perhaps may have other benefits to outweigh the drawbacks.

 

Too bad many of the data sheets don't extend into the UV.

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The glass may still transmit into the UV but that doesn't preclude it from also fluorescing.

 

Well any photon that makes it to the other side of the glass with the same energy as it entered is a photon not impressed for luminescence.

 

But you are correct, transmission efficiency is but one part of the answer. Quantum yields and wavelengths would be the others.

 

And if the fluorescence is low enough rear mounting a filter might be enough to eliminate it.

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Thank you for the link

 

At the top of the page is an English language button. Here is a link to the same table in English:

 

http://lzos.ru/en/in...task=view&id=54

 

Thanks. I was not paying attention to English language button, since I speak Russian.

 

Unfortunately, these data sheets have limited use. The only publication of lens optical diagrams (from former USSR) that also includes glass types that I was able to find is an old GOI lens catalogue by Lishnevskaya.

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Thanks. I was not paying attention to English language button, since I speak Russian.

 

Unfortunately, these data sheets have limited use. The only publication of lens optical diagrams (from former USSR) that also includes glass types that I was able to find is an old GOI lens catalogue by Lishnevskaya.

 

I wouldn't say that exactly. The data shows doped crown glasses don't transmit UV as well as undoped. My next question would be whether lanthinum doped elements might allow for a design that would compensate for the lower UV T.

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  • 7 years later...

Wait a minute, sapphire transmits down to 100nm??? does that mean you could hypothetically make a lens out of it and take pictures at say 110nm inside a vacuum chamber with a naked sensor? That would probably look pretty trippy. I guess everything would look matte and black.

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31 minutes ago, Fandyus said:

Wait a minute, sapphire transmits down to 100nm??? does that mean you could hypothetically make a lens out of it and take pictures at say 110nm inside a vacuum chamber with a naked sensor? That would probably look pretty trippy. I guess everything would look matte and black.

Looks like UV grade sapphire has transmission of 150nm to 6000nm. So not quite that low. But you could definitely image using the 183nm Mercury line.

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Just now, dabateman said:

Looks like UV grade sapphire has transmission of 150nm to 6000nm. So not quite that low. But you could definitely image using the 183nm Mercury line.

Good to know. Thanks. You've once done something like that, right?

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I used a close proximity pinhole lens, as I didn't have anything that could pass the line at the time.

I don't have that bulb anymore,  either as they are expensive and it blew out before its rated life. Fortunately I was refunded. 

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1 minute ago, dabateman said:

I used a close proximity pinhole lens, as I didn't have anything that could pass the line at the time.

I don't have that bulb anymore,  either as they are expensive and it blew out before its rated life. Fortunately I was refunded. 

Ah, I see. I remember that experiment.

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