Optical Measurements On Advanced Performance Domes

P. C. Archibald; D. K. Burge

doi:10.1117/12.964626

26 December 1984 Optical Measurements On Advanced Performance Domes

P. C. Archibald, D. K. Burge

Proceedings Volume 0505, Advances in Optical Materials; (1984) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.964626
Event: 28th Annual Technical Symposium, 1984, San Diego, United States

Abstract

Sapphire, spinel, and ALON (aluminum oxynitride) have been identified as candidate dome materials for ultraviolet through 5 μm wavelength applications. They possess optical, mechanical, and thermal properties that are superior to those of currently used Irtran-1 domes. Optical performance of these materials in the visible wavelength region far exceeds that of Irtran-1, while infrared properties reported here vary from worse than to better than Irtran-1 domes. Reported in this paper are measurements of optical scatter and transmittance at 0.4762, 0.6471, and 3.39 μm, which represent a large range of values obtained on these materials in dome form. Processing changes over the last few years have produced improvements in both scatter and transmittance, provided that a good surface finish is maintained. Higher index of refraction will, of course, limit the ultimate transmittance for uncoated domes of these materials to slightly less than that of Irtran-1, which has also improved in the same time period. Calculations indicate maximum transmittance at 3.39 pm to be 0.95 to 0.96 for Irtran-1 and 0.87 to 0.88 for spinel, a difference of 0.08. Current measurements at the Naval Weapons Center confirm values of 0.88 for spinel, while the best Irtran-1 dome gave a value of less than 0.92.

Citation Download Citation

P. C. Archibald and D. K. Burge "Optical Measurements On Advanced Performance Domes", Proc. SPIE 0505, Advances in Optical Materials, (26 December 1984); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.964626

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