Optical Domes
Definition: strongly curved optical windows
German: optische Kuppeln, Glaskuppeln
Author: Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
Cite the article using its DOI: https://doi.org/10.61835/wsl
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Optical domes are a special kind of optical windows, which are strongly curved. For example, they can have the shape of a half-sphere, but domes with custom shapes are also available. Different sizes are available, sometimes with diameters well above 100 mm.
Same optical domes need to transmit only visible light, for example for use with camera systems. They may be made of same high-quality optical glass like BK7 or fused silica. Glass domes are also available for the ultraviolet range, e.g. with UV-grade fused silica. For some applications, plastic optics (e.g. acrylic domes) are appropriate.
Other domes are operated in the infrared (→ infrared optics); for example, such devices are applied in heat-seeking missiles. A particularly robust infrared material is sapphire. Other possible choices, partly allowing for much longer wavelengths, are zinc selenide, germanium, silicon and certain ceramics.
A wide range of viewing directions is often important. The design of a half-sphere with the detector at its center may then be particularly appropriate because all light getting to these settings are will then have appropriately normal incidence on the dome surface. Under such conditions, there is no beam deflection, and anti-reflection coatings can reach a higher performance than for wide angular ranges.
Protective Domes
Optical domes are mostly used for protecting sensitive systems. For example, optical sensors for LIDAR built into airplanes must be protected with quite robust domes, withstanding the impact of sand or even birds at high velocities. Similarly, domes for submarines and underwater camera and video systems must withstand high pressures.
Due to the priority of protective features, some compromises must be made concerning optical performance. The sometimes harsh operating conditions may anyway not make it possible to preserve a very high optical quality of the exterior surface.
For maximum robustness, some optical domes are equipped with diamond-like hard carbon coatings. There are also other coatings for optical domes, e.g. anti-reflection coatings with particularly high durability, infrared filter coatings and metalized coatings.
Some domes have special mechanical features for precise mounting and sealing.
Suppliers
The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 19 suppliers for optical domes. Among them:


G&H
High numerical aperture (NA) optical domes from G&H are produced using precision tooling. Our product line includes zinc selenide, zinc sulphide, or germanium materials.
CNC processing, combined with extensive metrology capabilities, deliver precision domes for aerospace and military applications.
Optical domes are essentially windows: two parallel surfaces, curved. The dome protects and isolates critical sensors and electronics from the environment with minimal disruption to the optical path.
Optical domes can be found on forward looking infrared systems, seeker head optical systems, in submersibles, and underwater camera systems. Airborne systems must be designed to withstand sand, intense temperature differentials, and other challenging environmental conditions. Diamond-like coatings can be used to improve performance in the field. Submersible optics must likewise be designed to withstand sea salt, spray, and more humid challenging conditions.


Artifex Engineering
Artifex Engineerings offers custom optical domes from glass, quartz and sapphire. These provide high resistance to temperature, shock and scratches. We offer low cost molded domes as well as high quality polished domes for distortion free vision applications. We look forward to your inquiry.


Avantier
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.


Shalom EO
Shalom EO offers optical domes from a variety of substrate materials: sapphire, BK7, hot-pressed MgF2, hot-pressed ZnS, ZnSe and germanium for operations both in the UV and IR spectra ranges.
Our sapphire domes are ideal for operations both in the ultraviolet (UV) and MWIR (3-5 μm) band, hot-pressed MgF2 domes are suitable for the MWIR band, hot-pressed ZnS domes have a wide high transmission range (0.4-12 μm), while ZnSe domes and germanium domes are good choices for the 3-μm to 12-μm wavelength range, i.e., in the MWIR and LWIR region.


Shanghai Optics
Shanghai Optics manufactures optical domes in a wide variety of substrates, suitable for visible, IR or UV light. Our custom domes are available in sizes from 5 mm to over 200 mm diameter, with custom sizes on request.


Sinoptix
We offer custom optical domes. Precision optical machining or molding. The material can be optical glass, sapphire, fused silica or even optical plastic (blowing or injection).


Knight Optical
Knight Optical offers a range of optical domes manufactured from BK7 or UV fused silica. We can also provide custom domes in a variety of different substrates including optical glass, sapphire, acrylic, filter glass, infrared materials, and more. Domes are Ideal optics for protecting systems from the environment due to their durability and shape. Coatings can also be applied.


Ecoptik
ECOPTIK offers optical domes for applications in defense, weather tracking and optical imaging e.g. with underwater cameras. They are available for the visible region, the UV or for the infrared. Dimensions from 10 mm to 350 mm and thickness values between 1 mm and 10 mm are available. The domes can be equipped with reflecting or anti-reflection coatings.
See also: optical windows, infrared optics
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