Properties of Optical Sapphire Window:
Optical Windows are used as viewports to protect other components
within an optical assembly, instrument, or laser. In certain
applications, optical windows are required to withstand harsh
environmental conditions and provide high levels of performance and
reliability. Sapphire window has several unique properties that
make it the ideal material for these applications.
1. Synthetic Sapphire, the single crystal form of Al2O3, is one of
the hardest materials ( 9 Mohs hardness). Because of its structural
strength, the sapphire window can be made much thinner than other
common optical windows, with better transmittance performance.
2. High thermal stability and excellent thermal conductivity make
the sapphire window suitable for the applications in high power.
The loss in a sapphire window is less than in another common
optical window.
3. Sapphire windows can withstand considerably higher temperatures
than most optical windows with zero degradation.
4. Sapphire Windows will not get dark and lose their brilliancy
when exposed to UV light.
5. Sapphire windows are extremely stable and resistant to attack by
strong acid due to sapphire’s high dielectric constant.
6. Sapphire windows offer wideband transmission from UV to Mid-IR
(0.15-5.5µm).
All these unique properties make sapphire windows the ideal
material for extreme mechanical, chemical & optical
applications.
