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Knight Optical is at the forefront of providing Barium Fluoride (BaF2) optical components, including BaF2 lenses and BaF2 windows, specifically to meet the diverse needs of our clients.
Barium Fluoride is renowned for its excellent transmission capabilities, exceeding 90% between 0.2 to 10µm, making it perfectly suited for a wide spectrum of applications, from vacuum ultraviolet to longwave infrared regions.
Our range of Barium Fluoride optical components are designed for applications requiring high resistance to high-energy radiation, such as gamma and x-rays. Whether you require BaF2 lens for precision imaging or a Barium Fluoride window for protective viewports in harsh environments, our bespoke solutions cater to your specific requirements.
Knight Optical also offers custom BaF2 optical components with optional broadband antireflective (BBAR) coatings, improving optical performance within specific wavebands. This customization extends across various forms, including spherical lenses, aspheric lenses, and prisms, ensuring you receive components that perfectly align with your application’s demands.
Discover how Knight Optical’s custom BaF2 solutions can improve your project. Contact us today to explore our Barium Fluoride lenses and windows, and learn more about how our offerings suit your optical needs.
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Optical Properties and Metrology Testing
The refractive index of Barium Fluoride and its application adaptability is highlighted by its use in medical imaging, particularly in thermology and thermography for the detection and monitoring of various conditions. Its high radiation resistance also makes BaF2 ideal for cooled thermal imaging systems, infrared spectroscopy, and high-energy neutron detection.
Our in-house metrology laboratory ensures that every Barium Fluoride lens and window meets the highest quality standards, guaranteeing components that not only meet but exceed your expectations. For those curious about what Barium Fluoride is used for, its applications are as diverse as they are critical, spanning from medical imaging to spectroscopy and beyond. You can find out more about our testing facilities here.
Below is a brief summary of barium fluoride’s optical properties, a full data sheet is available here.
| Transmission Range | 0.15 to 12µm |
|---|---|
| Refractive Index | 1.45 @ 5µm |
| Density | 4.89 g/cm3 |
| Melting Point | 1386°C |
| Hardness | Knoop 82 with 500g indenter |
| Operating Temperature | < 800°C in dry environment |
| Diameter | Windows: < 5mm to 200mm, Lenses: < 5mm to 60mm+ |
|---|---|
| Form error (@633nm) | < 0.25 waves |
| Centration/parallelism | < 1 arc minute |
| Scratch/dig | < 60/40 |
| Typical coatings | Single sided BBAR @ 2-10µm |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is barium fluoride and what are its common uses?
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Barium fluoride (BaF2) is a crystalline material commonly used in the optical industry due to its wide transmission range, from ultraviolet to infrared light. It is particularly valued for its use in applications requiring deep ultraviolet and infrared transmission, such as in high-energy physics, astronomy, and lithography. Barium fluoride is used to manufacture optical components like lenses (BaF2 lens), windows (BaF2 window), and prisms that are crucial in spectroscopy, thermal imaging, and UV laser systems.
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What are the benefits of using barium fluoride in optical components?
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Barium fluoride is chosen for optical components due to its high transmission in the UV and IR spectral regions, low refractive index, and resistance to high-energy radiation. These properties make BaF2 lenses and windows ideal for use in environments exposed to wide temperature ranges and varying wavelengths. Additionally, BaF2’s low water solubility and high resistance to thermal shock contribute to the durability and longevity of optical devices in challenging conditions.
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What is the index of refraction of barium fluoride?
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The index of refraction of barium fluoride varies with wavelength, but at the sodium D-line (589 nm), it is approximately 1.48. This low refractive index allows for minimal light dispersion, making BaF2 an excellent material for optical systems requiring clear, sharp imaging across a broad spectrum of light.
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Can barium fluoride lenses and windows be customised for specific applications?
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Yes, barium fluoride lenses and windows can be customised to meet specific application requirements. Customisation can include specific dimensions, thicknesses, surface coatings, and shapes to fit particular optical systems. Knight Optical, for instance, offers custom BaF2 optical components tailored to the needs of various industries, ensuring optimal performance in unique operating environments.
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How do barium fluoride components perform in extreme environments?
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Barium fluoride components perform exceptionally well in extreme environments due to BaF2’s notable chemical stability, resistance to thermal shock, and ability to operate over a wide temperature range. These properties make BaF2 optics suitable for harsh conditions, such as in high-energy physics experiments, aerospace applications, and cryogenic environments.
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Where can I purchase barium fluoride optical components for my project?
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Barium fluoride optical components can be purchased from specialised suppliers like Knight Optical, which provides a wide range of BaF2 products, including lenses, windows, and custom optics. They offer high-quality BaF2 components tailored to specific industry requirements, along with expert advice to help select the best optical solutions for your project’s needs.
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Considerations
Health and Safety
Barium fluoride is a hazardous material and precautions should be taken when handling, you can find our barium fluoride SDS here.
Temperature – Dry Environment
In a dry environment it can be used up to 800°C.
Temperature – Moisture
When exposed to moisture, BaF2 degrades at 500°C, especially its performance in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) range.
Typical Applications
Scintillator Crystal
BaF2 is the fastest known scintillator material, and therefore is used to produce fast-acting, radiation resistant scintillation detectors used to detect x-ray and gamma rays by converting this high-energy radiation into lower energy photons which are emitted in the UV bands centred at 195nm and 220nm.
Nuclear Applications
Barium fluoride scintillators also emit at a slower rate at 310nm. BaF2 scintillators are used for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and nuclear physics applications.
FTIR Spectroscopy
Due to barium fluorides impressive transmission range from 200nm up to 12 micron, it is well suited for use in FTIR spectrometers. Knight Optical can provide stock and custom standard or drilled BaF2 cell windows.
Thermography
Barium fluoride viewports are often used in IR thermography due to their transmission in the MWIR and LWIR wavebands.
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With our in-house state-of-the-art metrology laboratory you can be confident that your optical components will meet your requirements. You can find out more about our testing facilities here.
Operating for over 30 years
Knight Optical has been operating for over 30 years, with our managing director Colin Overton at the helm. Over this time, we have become a global leader in the production and distribution of scientific optical components and bringing quality into focus for all of our products and services that we provide.
Our Catalogue
Inside Knight Optical’s catalogue you’ll find details of the industries we serve as well as the many other services we can offer. It also showcases hundreds of our most popular products, supported by useful technical information, to help you choose the right part for your application.
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