Spherical Lenses | Plano-Convex, Bi-Convex & Custom Optics

Custom Optical Lenses: Spherical, Aspheric, Achromatic & Cylindrical – Tempotec

Custom Optical Lenses: Spherical, Aspheric, Achromatic & Cylindrical – Tempotec

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Sold by: Tempotec Optics Co., Ltd. Ships from: China
Specifications
Lens Type: Plano-Convex, Plano-Concave, Bi-Convex, Bi-Concave, Other
Material: BK7, FS, UVFS, IRFS, CaF2, ZnSe, Si, MgF2, Al2O3 (Sapphire)
Surface Quality, S1/S2 (scratch-dig): 10-5, 20-10, 40-20, 60-40, 80-50, Commercial Polish, Inspection Polish
Surface Irregularity, S1/S2: <= Lambda/10, <= Lambda/8, <= Lambda/6, <= Lambda/4
Lens Types For Custom Order: Plano-convex, Plano-concave, Double-convex, Double-concave, Meniscus, Achromatic, Aspheric, Cylindrical

Did You Know?

Did you know that a simple spherical singlet lens cannot be made truly “diffraction-limited” over even a modest field because it simultaneously suffers from spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, field curvature, and distortion? Even on-axis, a plano-convex spherical lens focusing a collimated 532 nm beam at f/2 can exhibit longitudinal spherical aberration on the order of tens of micrometers, large compared to the Airy disk size (~1.3 µm for a 5 mm aperture), unless it is used in the correct orientation and at higher f-numbers. This is why precision imaging systems typically replace or augment spherical elements with aspheres or multi-element corrections rather than relying on a single spherical surface.
Read more in our Blog

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Frequently Asked Questions

A spherical lens has one or two surfaces that are portions of a sphere, characterized by a constant radius of curvature across the aperture. Unlike aspheric lenses, which use non-spherical profiles to reduce aberrations, spherical lenses are simpler to manufacture but exhibit spherical aberration and other off-axis errors. Cylindrical lenses are different in that they focus or expand light in only one dimension, whereas spherical lenses affect both transverse axes symmetrically.

Spherical Lenses

Spherical lenses are the workhorse refractive optics of nearly every optical system: precision components with one or two surfaces of constant radius of curvature, used to focus, collimate, or diverge light. Because the geometry is simple and well characterized, a spherical lens gives predictable, easily modeled control over focal length, spot size, and beam divergence, at a fraction of the cost of a custom asphere.

FindLight lists spherical lenses from dozens of manufacturers and distributors, in diameters from a few millimeters to several centimeters, across UV, visible, NIR, and mid-IR wavelengths. Filter by diameter, focal length, substrate, and coating, then purchase directly from the supplier.

Typical Specifications of Spherical Lenses

Available spherical lenses span a wide range of diameters, focal lengths, and materials. Common diameters extend from a few millimeters up to several centimeters, while focal lengths range from short-focus components for tight beam shaping to long-focus spherical optics for low-divergence transport.

Substrates typically include fused silica, BK7 and other crown glasses, flint glasses, and IR materials such as CaF2 or ZnSe. Many spherical components are supplied with AR coatings optimized for UV, visible, NIR, or mid-IR bands. Key specifications to review include radius of curvature, center thickness, surface quality (e.g., 20-10 or 40-20 scratch-dig), surface accuracy (λ/10 to λ/2), edge thickness, and clear aperture.

Spherical lenses on FindLight also differ in geometry: plano-convex, plano-concave, bi-convex, and bi-concave designs are available to suit converging or diverging light transport requirements.

Use Cases in Light Transport Systems

These spherical components are used in collimators, fiber coupling assemblies, beam expanders, relay optics, and general imaging paths. In laser systems, a spherical element may focus a beam onto a sample or detector, or expand a beam before downstream shaping. In illumination lines, spherical lenses condition LED or lamp output into controlled angular distributions.

Buyer Guidance on FindLight

When selecting a spherical lens for light transport, compare:

  • Wavelength range and coating of the spherical surface vs. your source
  • Focal length, numerical aperture, and resulting beam diameter at the target plane
  • Material transmission, dispersion, and thermal properties for your environment
  • Surface quality and accuracy for required wavefront and spot quality

Use the filters to narrow the spherical catalog by diameter, focal length, material, and coating. For pricing or custom modifications of a spherical design, request quotes directly from suppliers; no registration is required on FindLight.