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Ultra Smooth Mirrors for Demanding Applications

Product News Wednesday, July 24, 2013: EngNet - Engineering Network

Optical Surfaces Ltd has been producing optical components and systems for more than 50 years and is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of ultra smooth parabolic, ellipsoidal, spherical and toroidal mirrors for the most demanding applications.

Leading edge applications that have benefited from the company's ultra smooth off-axis parabolic mirrors include high power laser electron acceleration / beam focusing experiments, broadband collimators systems, satellite / ground based telescope research, remote sensing systems, interferometric beam expanders and MTF measurement systems.  Ellipsoidal mirrors from Optical Surfaces are helping push the boundaries of telescopic solar research.  High precision toroidal mirrors from Optical Surfaces are helping improve the achievable performance of mass spectrometers and opening up exciting new imaging applications in the medical field.  A 1.3m diameter spherical spectrograph mirror was a key component that helped produce the first observable evidence of the existence of black holes.

The company’s ISO 9001-2008 approved manufacturing workshops and test facilities are deep underground in a series of tunnels excavated in solid chalk where temperature remains constant and vibration is practically non-existent. With such stable conditions testing, particularly with long path lengths, becomes quantifiable and reliable. Working with these natural advantages is a highly skilled team of craftsmen with a commitment to excellence in both product quality and customer service.

Optical Surfaces Ltd's highly experienced and skilled team of engineers and craftsmen can typically produce off-axis parabolic mirrors up to 600 mm in diameter with surface accuracies to lambda/20p-v depending upon off-axis angles.  With proprietary polishing techniques the company can, depending on the surface accuracy required, achieve the natural limit to the off-axis angle of around 25-30 degrees and surface micro-roughness of ~ 1 nm rms.  Full details of achievable specifications for ultra smooth ellipsoidal, spherical and torroidal mirrors can be obtained from the product capabilities section on www.optisurf.com.

For further information or to discuss your application requirements please contact Optical Surfaces Ltd. on +44-208-668-6126 / sales@optisurf.com