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Description

Sapphire spherical lenses are high-performance optical components designed for demanding laser, infrared, ultraviolet, and harsh-environment applications.

Manufactured from single-crystal aluminum oxide (Al2O3), sapphire lenses provide exceptional hardness, thermal conductivity, chemical resistance, and broad optical transmission from UV to mid-IR wavelengths. 

Their durability and optical stability make them ideal for aerospace systems, spectroscopy, semiconductor processing, medical devices, fiber optics, and high-power laser applications.

Sapphire spherical lenses are available in plano-convex, plano-concave, bi-convex, and bi-concave geometries with optional anti-reflection coatings optimized for specific wavelength ranges.

Why Use Sapphire Optical Lenses?

Sapphire is one of the hardest and most durable optical materials available, making it ideal for demanding optical environments where conventional glass optics may fail. Sapphire spherical lenses offer:

  • Exceptional scratch resistance
  • High thermal conductivity
  • Broad UV to IR transmission
  • Excellent chemical resistance
  • High mechanical strength
  • Long operational lifetime in harsh environments

Compared to conventional optical glass, sapphire maintains superior performance under high temperatures, high pressures, abrasive environments, and high-power laser exposure.

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Specifications

Substrate Material: N-BK7, Fused Silica, UV Grade Fused Silica (UVFS)), IR Grade Fused Silica (IRFS), Sapphire
Diameter (or Largest Dimension): 200 mm
Thickness: Not Specified
Antireflection Coating: Coated, Uncoated
Surface Quality (Scratch-Dig): 10-5, 20-10, 40-20, 60-40
Surface Flatness: <= Lambda/8
Diameter Tolerance: +/-0.1mm (+/-0.005mm for customized high precision)
Thickness Tolerance: +/-0.1mm (+/-0.005mm for customized high precision)
Surface Quality: 60/40 (10/5 for customized high precision)
Parallelism: +/-3 arc minutes (+/-5 arc seconds for customized high precision)
Flatness: up to 1/8 lambda per 25.4mm at 632.8nm for customized high precision

Got questions about specs? Use the inquiry form to ask.

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Features

Sapphire vs Conventional Optical Glass

Compared to BK7 or fused silica lenses, sapphire spherical lenses provide significantly greater hardness, improved chemical resistance, and superior thermal durability. Sapphire is especially advantageous in abrasive, high-temperature, high-pressure, and chemically aggressive environments where conventional optics may degrade or fail.

Applications

  • High-power laser systems
  • Infrared optical systems
  • UV optical instrumentation
  • Fiber optic coupling
  • Aerospace and defense optics
  • Spectroscopy systems
  • Semiconductor processing
  • Medical and endoscopic optics
  • Harsh-environment imaging systems
  • Industrial sensing and metrology
  • Inspection and metrology
  • Optical imaging
  • Microscopy

Frequently Asked Questions

What are sapphire spherical lenses used for?
Sapphire spherical lenses are used in laser systems, spectroscopy, infrared imaging, aerospace optics, fiber optics, and harsh-environment optical applications.
Why use sapphire instead of glass lenses?
Sapphire provides much greater hardness, thermal stability, and chemical resistance than conventional optical glass materials.
What wavelength range does sapphire transmit?
Optical sapphire typically transmits from approximately 150 nm to over 5 µm depending on crystal quality and coatings.
Are AR coatings available for sapphire lenses?
Yes, sapphire spherical lenses can be supplied with anti-reflection coatings optimized for UV, visible, near-IR, or mid-IR wavelengths.
What types of sapphire lenses are available?
Common configurations include plano-convex, plano-concave, bi-convex, bi-concave, and sapphire ball lenses.

Got more questions? Use the inquiry form to ask the supplier directly.

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