Edmund Optics^®

Mounting flat mirrors by their edges in a kinematic mount imparts stress onto the mirror surface. This results in distortion and reduced quality of the reflected wavefront, which is especially noticeable when using high-quality mirrors. Stemmed mirrors, on the other hand, are mounted from a smaller diameter “stem” protruding from the back of the mirror, resulting in significantly reduced stress on the mirror surface, high stability, and cost reduction and can be used as a replacement for a more expensive and complex kinematic mount and a conventional mirror.

Schwarz Mirrors eliminate stray light using black, engineered fused silica substrates that maintain desired characteristics while absorbing unwanted light.

Sliding focusing mechanisms for laser beam expanders cause less beam wander than rotating focusing mechanisms, but they use more complex mechanics and are typically more expensive.

Edmund Optics' panel of laser optics experts discuss why the industry standard of measuring transmission to infer the reflectivity of high reflectivity laser mirrors doesn’t tell the whole story.

Beam Conditioning Optics for UV, IR, and Broadband Lasers

A new generation of small, cost-effective, CW ultraviolet (UV) lasers allows more applications to move to UV wavelengths for increased power and precision.

Learn about spatial frequency errors and surface roughness of Single Point Diamond Turned off-axis parabolic mirrors at Edmund Optics.

Want to learn more about metallic mirror coatings? Find information about standard and custom metallic mirror coatings that are available at Edmund Optics.

Looking for a fast-focusing lens for a machine vision application? Find out more about how to use a C-Mount Focus-Tunable Lens at Edmund Optics.

Optical lens geometries control light in different ways. Learn about Snell's Law of Refraction, lens terminology and geometries at Edmund Optics.

Fresnel lenses are composed of a series of concentric grooves etched into one side of a sheet of plastic. Fresnel lenses are unlike typical spherical or aspherical optical lenses.

A protective plastic coating protects a variety of our flat optics, such as optical windows, optical mirrors, and beamsplitters, from scratches during shipping.

Edmund Optics utilizes Diamond Turning to produce a wide range of high precision optical components.

Learn the key parameters that must be considered to ensure you laser application is successful. Common terminology will be established for these parameters.

Understanding Rowland circle and polychromator mounts for diffraction gratings is important for selecting the proper concave grating for your application.

Schwarz Mirrors minimize unwanted stray light using an opaque, engineered fused silica substrate that absorbs light that would otherwise be transmitted.

The industry standard method for quantifying reflectivity does not tell the whole story

Pulse Compression and Dispersion Compensation for Ultrafast Lasers

Seeing around corners is no longer science fiction thanks to ultrafast lasers and sensitive cameras

Have a time or budget restraint? Check out these tips and advantages for designing applications with standard, off-the-shelf optics at Edmund Optics.

Learn how to assemble, align, and use a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer completely out of off-the-shelf products from Edmund Optics in this detailed guide.

Do you want to learn about optical filters? Find terminology, fabrication techniques, a selection guide, and application examples at Edmund Optics.

Specialized coatings can minimize thermal lensing in ultrafast laser systems, which are particularly susceptible to detrimental thermal effects.

Pushing Optics to the Extreme

Looking for the best way to clean optics? Learn more about the different cleaning products and methods, along with tips to handle optics at Edmund Optics.

Not sure which type of illumination you should use for your system? Learn more about the pros and cons of different illumination types at Edmund Optics.

Need help understanding aberration theory? Learn about a few fundamental concepts to help clarify your understanding at Edmund Optics.