Aspheric lenses for high power laser research

Aspheric lenses provide a cost-effective way of reducing the number of optical elements in a focusing system thereby making them ideal for low f-number, high throughput laser applications. Beneficially also a correctly formed aspheric lens surface may cancel or control spherical aberration. As a result, more laser energy can be concentrated into a smaller area.

Benefiting from a uniquely stable production environment, Optical Surfaces can routinely fabricate low f-number aspheric lenses up to 600mm in diameter in a range of optical glasses to optimise light gathering and focusing performance. To meet the demands of high-power laser focusing experiments - Optical Surfaces is routinely able to manufacture aspheric lenses with a surface finish of 10/5 scratch/dig, surface roughness of 1nm rms and ultra-smooth slope errors. To maintain high transmission and enable the aspheric lenses to operate at the ultra-high energy thresholds used in fundamental plasma physics research – a range of high-power laser coatings is available.

The ISO 9001-2015 approved manufacturing workshops and test facilities at Optical Surfaces Ltd are deep underground in a series of tunnels excavated in solid chalk. This provides an environment where temperature is naturally thermally stable, and vibration is extremely low. With such stable conditions testing of all aspheric lenses becomes quantifiable and dependable. In addition to these natural advantages, the company has invested in an extensive range of test equipment and uses trusted methods to ensure accurate and reliable testing of surface accuracy, quality, and slope errors.