Avantier

An achromatic lens, often called an achromat, is a type of optical lens capable of correcting chromatic aberration, a distortion that occurs when glass splits white light into multiple wavelength components.

Anti-Reflection (AR) coatings are one of widely used optical thin-film coatings that can be applied to the surfaces of optical elements to reduce reflection and to improve transmittance within some spectral region. We provide AR coatings with appropriate materials and optimized configuration on a substrate material specified by the customer, with specified transmittance and a specified wavelength region.

As optical systems are pushed to be better, faster, and cheaper, it becomes necessary to explore aspheric solutions. Aspherical elements eliminate monochromatic aberrations (e.g. spherical aberration) and improve focusing and collimating accuracy.

An axicon lens is a special lens with one plano (flat) surface and one conical surface. Also known as a rotationally symmetric prism, an axicon lens creates a focal line along the optical axis using interference, and can convert a laser beam into a ring shaped beam of light. Axicons are typically defined by their apex angles.

A ball lens consists of a highly transparent spherical ball, usually made of solid glass (fused silica) or another optical material with index of refraction less than 2. Most ball lenses are made with small diameters – a few millimeters or even less than a millimeter. The optical physics can be understood by realizing these lenses are, equivalently, two plano-convex lenses separated by a parallel plane.

Avantier offers a wide range of standard collimating lenses, which includes aspheric and achromatic lenses suitable for various light sources such as laser diodes with high divergence. These standard collimating lenses have the ability to convert divergent laser beams into well-collimated laser beams. These collimated beams can then be utilized for laser material processing, laser scanning applications, and interferometry by entering beam expanders.

Beam expanders are optical devices which increases the diameter of the input beam to produce a larger output. Used with collimated light, they have important applications in remote sensing, interferometry, and laser scanning.

Avantier provides light pipes that can serve as beam homogenizers. These pipes can be either straight or bent at an angle of up to 90°. The light pipes are coated with a five-layer coating that facilitates light transmission while minimizing losses.

A beam splitter is an optical component used for splitting light into two separate beams, usually by wavelength or polarity. It can also be used, in reverse, as a beam combiner, to join two light beams into one. These specialty mirrors have applications in many fields, including laser, semiconductor and photonics instrumentation.

A cold mirror is a specialized longpass filter, an optical mirror which is designed to reflect shorter wavelengths of light at a 45° angle of incidence while transmitting undesired heat (infrared radiation).

A corner cube prism, also known as a retroreflector, a CCR, or a trihedral prism, is an optical prism that sends an incoming beam of light directly towards its point of origin while translating it spatially.

We have over 50 years of expertise in custom optics and custom optical component manufacturing of lenses, prisms, windows, wafers, and custom-shaped substrates using materials such as UV grade fused silica, industrial grade fused silica, IR grade fused silica, filter glass, germanium, silicon, ZnSe, and more.

As the name suggests, a cylindrical lens or cylinder lens is an optical lens with a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical shape. Like a spherical lens, a cylindrical lens has one curved and one flat side. Unlike a spherical lens, however, cylindrical lenses aren’t fully symmetrical — the orientation of a cylindrical lens affects how it transmits light.

A dichroic mirror, also down as a dual-band mirror, dual-wavelength mirror, or dichroic reflector, is a specialized mirror which has different optical properties at two different wavelengths.

Avantier is capable of providing a comprehensive range of dielectric coatings, including anti-reflective, high reflective, and partial reflective coatings. Our coating portfolio encompasses a diverse range of coatings, ranging from a single layer of anti-reflective coating to intricate multi-layer dielectric stacks. Our dielectric coatings come in various types such as BBAR, V-coatings, dual wavelength coatings, as well as sharp cut-on and cut-off filters.

Our dielectric mirrors have the same exceptional specifications as our laser mirrors, except that they use special multi-layer coatings to achieve a very high degree of reflectance for both s- and p-polarizations over a broad wavelength range.

At Avantier, we produce custom freeform optics for cutting-edge applications in industry, defense, research, and medicine. We specialize in custom freeform optics design and manufacturing solutions for imaging, catering to single prototypes and bulk production alike.

A freeform optic is defined as one that has at least one surface with no translational or rotational symmetry about any axes that are normal to the mean plane. In practice, this means that freeform systems may be free from any constraints of symmetry.

Manufacturing processes:

• Unique challenges due to non-rotational symmetry.
• Utilizes state-of-the-art CNC optical grinding technology.
• Begins with roughing out the surface using CNC technology and diamond turning.
• Involves rough and fine grinding followed by sub-aperture polishing.
• Rigorous metrology checks ensure compliance with standards.
• Substrate options include metal, plastic, and various optical materials like germanium, calcium fluoride, etc.

Fresnel lenses are lenses composed of a series of concentric rings. The Fresnel lens construction design allows for large aperture and short focal length with less mass and volume compared with a conventional lens design.

Dielectric mirrors, such as hot and cold mirrors, are specifically designed to regulate heat by filtering out undesired energy from a light source. Cold mirrors are capable of reflecting 90% of visible light spectrum and effectively transmitting infrared wavelengths, thereby removing them from the area of interest. On the other hand, hot mirrors can reflect 90% of infrared and near-infrared light while transmitting a significant portion of visible light (up to 80%). Avantier has the capability to produce tailor-made hot and cold mirrors for any angle of incidence, ranging from 0 to 45°.

Avantier produces a wide range of high quality infrared optics, including infrared lenses, prisms, windows, mirrors, and laser and imaging assemblies. Our state-of-the-art equipment allows us to achieve unparalleled precision and surface quality, and every piece we manufacture is subject to stringent quality controls.

Avantier’s specialization lies in the creation of high precision large diameter optics, surpassing dimensions of 100 mm. With our expertise in optical component production, which includes optical flats, lenses, mirrors, and optical domes, we offer a comprehensive range of coating options tailored to cater to UV, visible, or IR spectral needs.

Avantier offers a range of standard collimating lenses, including aspheric and achromatic lenses suitable for highly divergent laser diodes. These lenses convert divergent laser beams to well-collimated beams for use in laser scanning applications, laser material processing, and interferometry with beam expanders. We also provide custom collimating lenses with multiple optical elements that project a source at infinity for infinite conjugate testing. Selection of optical materials and configuration is based on various parameters like entrance pupil diameter, wavelength, focal length, and field of view.

Our laser optics include all the optical elements and optical systems used within lasers, or for manipulating—or transmitting—laser light. Laser optics components have more stringent requirements on surface quality and coating when comparing with standard imaging optics.

Avantier is proficient in producing customized lenses for all kinds of applications, ranging from prototyping to large-scale production.

Avantier offers custom metallic coatings that enable high reflection within specific wavelength ranges and are extensively utilized in optical elements and laser systems. Our metallic coatings are characterized by low absorption properties, which results in better and more efficient spectral performance. Additionally, these mirror coatings can be customized to deliver additional high pass or low pass wavelength performance, complementing the desired reflection band.

Microlens arrays are rigid arrangements of very tiny lenses, each with a diameter of less than 10 mm. They are precision polished to very high tolerances, so that they can be mounted into complex imaging systems. Specifications • Diameter: +0, -0.1mm • Surface accuracy: λ/2 @633nm or better • Thickness: ±0.2mm • Centration: ±0.04mm • Surface quality:20-10 • Bevel: 0.2mm typical • Material: SK2; BK7 and more

Avantier produces custom micro-lenses from high-index optical glass, which undergo precision polishing to achieve exceptional tolerances. This makes them suitable for mounting in intricate imaging systems.

Micro optics are very small optical systems, typically between a few micrometers to a millimeter in size. We produces a wide range of custom micro optics, and we can work with you to design and develop micro-optic lens assemblies to meet your exact specifications.

The objective lens is the most important part of a microscope and plays a central role in imaging an object onto the human eye or an image sensor for discerning the object’s detail. Microscope objectives are ideal for a range of science research, industrial, and general lab applications.

Avantier specializes in producing custom optical precision mirrors for various applications, including but not limited to life sciences, astronomy, metrology, and solar engineering. These industries rely on our precision mirrors and other optical components to meet their specific needs.

Custom optical design solutions require extensive expertise and a special problem solving ability that is honed by long experience. At Avantier Inc, over 50 years of experience in optical design consulting services has given our staff a unique ability to troubleshoot issues as well as to discover the best solution for almost any optical problem.

Avantier produces optical domes in various substrates that are compatible with visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light. We offer personalized domes ranging in diameter from 5 mm to more than 200 mm, and we can also accommodate custom sizes upon request.

Manufacturing Capabilities:

• material: BK7, CaF₂, Cleartran, fused silica, MgF₂, etc
• diameter: 2~500 mm
• thickness: >1 mm
• coating: AR coating for VIS, SWIR, NIR, MWIR, LWIR, broadband
• surface accuracy: 1/10–1 lambda
• dimensional tolerance: ±0.1 mm
• surface quality: 20/10-60/40
• clear aperture: 90%
• environmental testing: extreme cold-heat cycle, sand blasting, salt water, adhesive test
• specification testing: qualification test, optimization test, dimensional test, according to DIN, ISO and MIL standards

Optical filters selectively allow certain wavelengths of light to pass freely while blocking other wavelengths. Avantier manufactures a wide range of optical filters for engineering, scientific, and photographic applications.

At Avantier Inc, we design optical solutions systems and produce high performance optics for optical metrology equipment for a wide variety of applications. We work at the forefront of research and developments, and produce metrology systems for research, industry, aerospace, and defense.

Avantier provides lens system assembly services that encompass a broad spectrum of wavelengths from UV to IR, catering to a diverse clientele ranging from biomedical, imaging and illumination, to industrial and military applications. Our expertise in manufacturing optical components allows us to strike a balance between design expectations and manufacturability, ensuring optimal results for our customers.

Our optical windows are designed to minimize both reflection and absorption while maximizing transmission over a target wavelength range. When choosing an optical window, you will have to keep in mind optical surface specifications, material transmission properties, and the mechanical properties required by your application.

Avantier's experts in opto-mechanical design are available to provide design services as well as troubleshooting help and ongoing support. We understand that every environment is unique, and we want to work with you to ensure your assembly will perform as desired in your application.

Avantier designs and produces off-axis parabolic mirrors, both standard and customized, to meet the needs of companies and institutions worldwide. Reach out to us to receive a complimentary quote.

Factory Standards

Material : Aluminum Diameter tolerance : +0, -0.2mm Focal length tolerance : ± 1 % Off-axis distance tolerance : +6, -0mm Surface accuracy : 1/10 lambda RMS Surface Quality : 60-40

Avantier creates top-notch plastic optics in various shapes, like aspheric lenses, optical prisms, cylinder lenses, toroid lenses, and free form optics. We utilize state-of-the-art equipment, including single point diamond turning and machining, CNC machining, and injection molding to produce polymer optical components efficiently. Injection molding is the most common way we manufacture large quantities of polymer optics. Our experienced team can prepare both single and multi-cavity molds, molding different types of lenses like PMMA, polycarbonate, and cyclic olefin polymer lenses.

Aspheric manufacturing capabilities:

• Diameter: 5 – 200 mm
• Diameter tolerance: +0/-0.100 mm – +0/-0.010 mm
• Asphere figure error (P – V): 3 μm – smaller than 0.06 μm
• Vertex radius (asphere): ±0.5% – ±0.05%
• Sag: 25 mm max.
• Typical slope error: 1μm – 0.15 μm per 1 mm window
• Centering (beam deviation): 3 arcmin – 0.5 arcmin
• Center thickness tolerance: ±0.100mm – ±0.010mm
• Surface quality (scratch-dig): 80–50, 40–20, 10–5
• Aspheric surface metrology: profilometry (2D & 3D) & interferometry

Avantier produces high-quality dichroic polarizers with steep edges and flat reflection and transmission bands. Our polarizers provide almost complete transmission and reflection, resulting in high contrast images and good signal to noise ratios. They feature a UV grade fused silica, JGS1, or JGS2 substrate, and have a higher damage threshold than plastic polarizers. Our coatings meet MIL-STD-810F and MIL-C-484971 requirements, and we offer various options.

An optical prism is a solid, transparent optic with flat surfaces which refract light. Light enters through one surface, and may be rotated, deviated, or dispersed before leaving through another surface. These surfaces are highly polished, and the angles between them, the number of surfaces, and the position of them determine the function of the prism.

Avantier offers a comprehensive range of coating options including anti-reflective, high reflective, and partial reflective coatings. Our coatings range from single-layer anti-reflective coatings to sophisticated multilayer dielectric stacks, with options such as BBAR, V-coatings, dual wavelength coatings, and sharp cut-on and cut-off filters.

Avantier provides quick optical prototype solutions that reduce product development life-cycles and enable rapid prototyping. This is crucial for devices, instruments, and platforms that rely on optics and imaging, especially with the introduction of new technologies. Faster prototyping leads to faster time-to-market, which is essential for our customers.

Rod lenses perform in a manner analogous to a standard cylinder lens, and can be used in beam shaping and to focus collimated light into a line. Our rod lenses play a key part in many laser and imaging optical assemblies, and can be used for UV, visible and NIR applications.

With our pre-engineered lenses, customers can select from a range of preliminary designs that best suit their application. Simply provide us with your application requirements such as dimensions, wavelength range, and field of view, and our skilled engineers will optimize our preliminary designs to meet your exact specifications.

Telecentric lenses are special lenses which can be used in machine vision systems and imaging systems to maximize performance and provide highly accurate, repeatable measurements. Avantier manufactures both object-space and image-space telecentric lenses, and we are able to provide stock parts, pre-engineered specifications, and fully custom lenses.

Avantier uses advanced optical metrology equipment to test both our own and our customers' precision optical components and systems. We thoroughly inspect and qualify the produced parts according to customers' specific requirements and in accordance with MIL-SPEC standards.

Avantier is capable of delivering a broad range of coatings, including anti-reflective, high reflective, and partial reflective coatings. Our coating offerings vary from simple anti-reflective coatings to intricate multilayer dielectric stacks. Examples of dielectric coatings include BBAR, V-coatings, dual wavelength coatings, and filters with sharp cut-on and cut-off wavelengths.

Avantier designs and produces custom optical components with tailored substrates and coatings optimized for superior performance across various wavelengths, including UV, visible, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR. We ensure the highest quality and top-notch performance of our optical components using cutting-edge metrology technology.

Avantier produces microwaveplates with extremely small dimensions, as small as 0.35 mm × 0.35 mm, with a tolerance of ±0.05 mm and a thickness of about 0.19 mm. For more information on our manufacturing limits or to request custom specifications, please contact us.