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Laser Line Optics

Author: the photonics expert Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta (RP)

Definition: optical elements made specifically for certain laser lines

More general term: optics

Category: article belongs to category general optics general optics

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DOI: 10.61835/egn Cite the article: BibTex plain text HTML Link to this page! LinkedIn

Various kinds of optical components have been developed for use with specific laser lines. This has led to the term laser line optics, or more specifically to terms like laser line mirrors, laser line polarizers, etc.

Frequently, the restriction to certain operation wavelengths (more precisely, certain limited wavelength regions) arises from limitations of dielectric coatings, which intrinsically have wavelength-dependent reflection properties. For example, dielectric laser mirrors can achieve a high reflectivity (or some other defined reflectivity value, e.g. for beam splitters or output couplers) only in quite limited wavelength regions. The same holds for anti-reflection coatings and thin-film polarizers.

Although it is possible to make broadband coatings, which allow for substantially wider ranges of operation wavelength, those tend to be more complex and therefore more expensive. Further, narrowband coatings can exhibit a substantially better performance. Therefore, such coatings for narrow specific wavelength regions are often used when operation is anyway limited to such a region.

Certain wavelength restrictions also intrinsically apply to components like waveplates and birefringent tuners, further to various kinds of diffractive optics. Besides, there are certain optical filters, e.g. for blocking certain laser lines as required for applications like Raman spectroscopy.

Laser line optics are mostly available for a limited set of common laser wavelengths, for example:

1064 nm from Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO₄ lasers
532 nm, 355 nm, 266 nm (harmonics of those, obtained by nonlinear frequency conversion)
514 nm (argon ion lasers)
633 nm (helium–neon lasers)

They include components like laser mirrors, polarizers, waveplates, beam collimators, beam shapers, optical filters and optical windows.

More to Learn

Laser lines

Suppliers

The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 23 suppliers for laser line optics. Among them:

EKSMA OPTICS

EKSMA Optics offers a wide range of optical components tailored specifically for particular laser wavelengths. Nd:YAG LaserLine products are designed for the Nd:YAG laser fundamental wavelength and its harmonics. The Femtoline product line features optics for femtosecond applications with Ti:sapphire and Yb:KGW/KYW fundamental and harmonic wavelengths.

Edmund Optics

Edmund Optics offers a wide variety of laser line optics, including laser lenses, laser mirrors, laser filters, along with a variety of other components designed for laser use. Laser lenses are designed to focus, homogenize, or shape laser beams. Laser mirrors are ideal for beam steering applications. Laser filters transmit or reflect a portion of the laser light. Laser windows are used to transmit designated wavelengths or protect sensitive components or work areas from stray light.

Schäfter + Kirchhoff

We offer various laser line generators with different geometries e.g. with fan angle, semi-telecentric with uniform or Gaussian intensity distribution.

Shalom EO

Hangzhou Shalom EO is a professional supplier of laser line optics we have expert technical experience in offering:

laser line mirrors, consisting of Corning UV fused silica substrates and high-reflectance dielectric coatings at a wide AOI range of 0–45°
high power laser mirrors with a laser damage threshold of >20 J/cm² @ 1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz pulses
optical components for femtosecond lasers, like chirped mirrors/mirror pairs, femtoline low GDD mirrors, optimized for femtosecond and ultrafast pulsed lasers
Laser line filters, with 8–10 nm narrowband bandwidth and standard central wavelength range of 337.1–1550 nm, accommodating to GaAIAs, N₂, XeF, Nd:YAG, Ar, Kr, InGaAsP lasers.

LASEROPTIK

LASEROPTIK offers a wide range of coatings for laser line applications. We can also make multiline coatings, for example for for harmonic separators and for OPOs.

OPTOMAN

OPTOMAN's ultrafast laser line mirrors are designed to cover popular Yb:KGW, Yb:KYW, Yb:YAG, and Ti:sapphire laser lines with a reflectance of more than 99.99% while maintaining the GDD as close to zero as possible. Dispersive mirrors with predefined negative or positive GDD values can be designed. Laser line mirrors can be optimized for perfect performance at specific narrow bandwidth laser lines.

Standard in-stock mirrors designed for ultrafast applications can be found in OPTOSHOP.

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