Metal Mirrors
Metal mirrors are an inexpensive alternative to mirrors with dielectric coating.
Coated Laser Optics
Metal mirrors are an inexpensive alternative to mirrors with a dielectric coating. They can be used for a wide wavelength range and independent of the angle of incidence, but have a lower degree of reflection. The maximum allowable optical power density is also lower. This coating is suited for femtosecond pulses but not for nanosecond or picosecond pulses.
As far as handling is concerned, due to the soft layers, these mirrors should only be cleaned with dry air in order to avoid scratches.
As a standard, LASER COMPONENTS has four different metallic coatings available:
- Aluminum with protective layer (PA-UV)
- Silver with protective layer (PS-IR)
- Gold with protective layer (PG-IR)
- Gold without protective layer (G)
The protective layer can be done without in gold mirrors without sustaining any power loss. However, for this reason it is more sensitive to scratching.
Doing without a protective layer is not recommended for aluminum and silver mirrors because corrosion of these materials sets in quickly.
Optics Production