Protected Aluminum Mirrors


  • Protected Aluminum: Ravg >90% for 450 nm to 2 µm, Ravg >95% from 2 – 20 µm
  • Round and Square Versions Available From Stock
  • Packages of 10 Rounds at a Discounted Price

PFSQ20-03-G01

2" x 2"

PF10-03-G01

Ø1"

PF05-03-G01

Ø1/2"

PF07-03-G01

Ø19 mm

Metallic Mirror Blanks Ready for Coating

Related Items


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A Number of Metallic Mirror Blanks Mounted in Planets at the Top of One of Our Electron Beam Deposition Coating Chambers

Features

  • Protected Aluminum: Ravg > 90% for 450 nm - 2 µm, Ravg > 95% for 2 - 20 µm
  • Surface Flatness: λ/10 (λ/8 for 2" x 2" Squares)
  • Surface Quality: 40-20 Scratch-Dig
  • 10 Packs of Round Mirrors Available at a Discount
  • Custom Options Available (Contact Tech Support)

Protected Aluminum coated mirrors are a good option for many general broadband applications. An SiO2 coating is used to protect the delicate aluminum coating, making it suitable for laboratory and industrial use. The protected aluminum coating has a smaller chance of tarnishing than protected silver in a high humidity environment, and gives a reflectance that most closely matches the reflectance of a bare aluminum coating. These mirrors have an average reflectance greater than 90% from 450 nm to 2 µm and greater than 95% over the 2 to 20 µm spectral range. Please see the Graphs tab for reflectance curves.

Our Ø19 mm mirrors are specifically designed to fit our Polaris Fixed Optic Mounts for laser system design and other OEM applications. This diameter provides a larger clear aperture than Ø1/2" optics while allowing the mounts to maintain a Ø1" footprint.

For applications which require extremely low thermal expansion, Thorlabs also offers UV-enhanced and protected aluminum Zerodur mirrors.


Click to Enlarge
Mirrors Ø1/2" and larger are
laser engraved with their part
number for easy identification.

Custom Metallic Mirrors
Thorlabs' metallic mirrors are manufactured at the production facility housed in our headquarters in Newton, NJ. Our optics business unit has a wide breadth of manufacturing capabilities that allow us to offer a variety of custom optics for both OEM sales and low quantity one-off orders. Custom optic sizes, geometries, substrate materials, and coatings are available with prices on modified stock that are comparable to our stock offerings. We can produce individual custom plano, spherical, and aspheric mirrors as well as custom components for optical systems like our galvanometers. To receive more information or inquire about a custom order, please contact Tech Support.

Metal-Coated Plano Mirrors Selection Guide

Wavelength Range

Avg. Reflectance
(Click for Variation)

Coating

Suffix

Coating Comparison

250 nm - 450 nm >90% UV Enhanced Aluminum -F01 icon
Raw Data
450 nm - 20 μm >90% for 450 nm - 2 µm
>95% for 2 - 20 µm
Protected Aluminum -G01
750 nm - 1 µm Rs > 99.0%
RP > 98.5%
Ultrafast-Enhanced Silver -AG icon
Raw Data
450 nm - 20 μm >97.5% for 450 nm - 2 µm
>96% for 2 - 20 µm
Protected Silver -P01
>97% for 450 nm - 2 µm
>95% for 2 - 20 µm
Protected Silvera -P02
800 nm - 20 μm >96% Protected Gold -M01 icon
Raw Data
2 µm - 20 µm >98% MIR Enhanced Gold -M02
800 nm - 20 μm >97% Unprotected Gold -M03
10.6 µm Laser Line >99% Unprotected Gold -L01
Metal-Coated Zerodur® Mirrors
Economy Front Surface Mirrors with Protected Metallic Coatings
  • This variation of our protected silver coating is only found on the PFR14-P02 Rectangular Mirror.
Optical Coatings Guide
Optic Cleaning Tutorial

The shaded regions in the graphs denote the ranges over which we guarantee the specified reflectance. Please note that the reflectance outside of these bands is typical and can vary from lot to lot, especially in out-of-band regions where the reflectance is fluctuating or sloped.

Protected Aluminum at Near-Normal Incident Angle
Click to Enlarge

Excel Spreadsheet with Raw Data for Protected Aluminum
Protected Aluminum at 45 Degree Incident Angle
Click to Enlarge

Excel Spreadsheet with Raw Data for Protected Aluminum
Damage Threshold Specifications
Coating Designation
(Item # Suffix)
Damage Threshold
-G01 (Pulse) 0.3 J/cm2 at 1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz, Ø1.000 mm
-G01 (CW)a 100 W/cm at 1.070 µm, Ø0.098 mm
350 W/cm at 10.6 µm, Ø0.339 mm
  • The power density of your beam should be calculated in terms of W/cm. For an explanation of why the linear power density provides the best metric for long pulse and CW sources, please see the "Continuous Wave and Long-Pulse Lasers" section below.

Damage Threshold Data for Thorlabs' Protected Aluminum Mirrors

The specifications to the right are measured data for Thorlabs'protected aluminum mirrors. Damage threshold specifications are constant for a given coating type, regardless of the size or shape of the mirror.

 

Laser Induced Damage Threshold Tutorial

The following is a general overview of how laser induced damage thresholds are measured and how the values may be utilized in determining the appropriateness of an optic for a given application. When choosing optics, it is important to understand the Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of the optics being used. The LIDT for an optic greatly depends on the type of laser you are using. Continuous wave (CW) lasers typically cause damage from thermal effects (absorption either in the coating or in the substrate). Pulsed lasers, on the other hand, often strip electrons from the lattice structure of an optic before causing thermal damage. Note that the guideline presented here assumes room temperature operation and optics in new condition (i.e., within scratch-dig spec, surface free of contamination, etc.). Because dust or other particles on the surface of an optic can cause damage at lower thresholds, we recommend keeping surfaces clean and free of debris. For more information on cleaning optics, please see our Optics Cleaning tutorial.

Testing Method

Thorlabs' LIDT testing is done in compliance with ISO/DIS 11254 and ISO 21254 specifications.

First, a low-power/energy beam is directed to the optic under test. The optic is exposed in 10 locations to this laser beam for 30 seconds (CW) or for a number of pulses (pulse repetition frequency specified). After exposure, the optic is examined by a microscope (~100X magnification) for any visible damage. The number of locations that are damaged at a particular power/energy level is recorded. Next, the power/energy is either increased or decreased and the optic is exposed at 10 new locations. This process is repeated until damage is observed. The damage threshold is then assigned to be the highest power/energy that the optic can withstand without causing damage. A histogram such as that below represents the testing of one BB1-E02 mirror.

LIDT metallic mirror
The photograph above is a protected aluminum-coated mirror after LIDT testing. In this particular test, it handled 0.43 J/cm2 (1064 nm, 10 ns pulse, 10 Hz, Ø1.000 mm) before damage.
LIDT BB1-E02
Example Test Data
Fluence # of Tested Locations Locations with Damage Locations Without Damage
1.50 J/cm2 10 0 10
1.75 J/cm2 10 0 10
2.00 J/cm2 10 0 10
2.25 J/cm2 10 1 9
3.00 J/cm2 10 1 9
5.00 J/cm2 10 9 1

According to the test, the damage threshold of the mirror was 2.00 J/cm2 (532 nm, 10 ns pulse, 10 Hz, Ø0.803 mm). Please keep in mind that these tests are performed on clean optics, as dirt and contamination can significantly lower the damage threshold of a component. While the test results are only representative of one coating run, Thorlabs specifies damage threshold values that account for coating variances.

Continuous Wave and Long-Pulse Lasers

When an optic is damaged by a continuous wave (CW) laser, it is usually due to the melting of the surface as a result of absorbing the laser's energy or damage to the optical coating (antireflection) [1]. Pulsed lasers with pulse lengths longer than 1 µs can be treated as CW lasers for LIDT discussions.

When pulse lengths are between 1 ns and 1 µs, laser-induced damage can occur either because of absorption or a dielectric breakdown (therefore, a user must check both CW and pulsed LIDT). Absorption is either due to an intrinsic property of the optic or due to surface irregularities; thus LIDT values are only valid for optics meeting or exceeding the surface quality specifications given by a manufacturer. While many optics can handle high power CW lasers, cemented (e.g., achromatic doublets) or highly absorptive (e.g., ND filters) optics tend to have lower CW damage thresholds. These lower thresholds are due to absorption or scattering in the cement or metal coating.

Linear Power Density Scaling

LIDT in linear power density vs. pulse length and spot size. For long pulses to CW, linear power density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

Intensity Distribution

Pulsed lasers with high pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) may behave similarly to CW beams. Unfortunately, this is highly dependent on factors such as absorption and thermal diffusivity, so there is no reliable method for determining when a high PRF laser will damage an optic due to thermal effects. For beams with a high PRF both the average and peak powers must be compared to the equivalent CW power. Additionally, for highly transparent materials, there is little to no drop in the LIDT with increasing PRF.

In order to use the specified CW damage threshold of an optic, it is necessary to know the following:

  1. Wavelength of your laser
  2. Beam diameter of your beam (1/e2)
  3. Approximate intensity profile of your beam (e.g., Gaussian)
  4. Linear power density of your beam (total power divided by 1/e2 beam diameter)

Thorlabs expresses LIDT for CW lasers as a linear power density measured in W/cm. In this regime, the LIDT given as a linear power density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size, as demonstrated by the graph to the right. Average linear power density can be calculated using the equation below. 

The calculation above assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now consider hotspots in the beam or other non-uniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum power density. For reference, a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum power density that is twice that of the uniform beam (see lower right).

Now compare the maximum power density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has a linear relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 10 W/cm at 1310 nm scales to 5 W/cm at 655 nm):

CW Wavelength Scaling

While this rule of thumb provides a general trend, it is not a quantitative analysis of LIDT vs wavelength. In CW applications, for instance, damage scales more strongly with absorption in the coating and substrate, which does not necessarily scale well with wavelength. While the above procedure provides a good rule of thumb for LIDT values, please contact Tech Support if your wavelength is different from the specified LIDT wavelength. If your power density is less than the adjusted LIDT of the optic, then the optic should work for your application. 

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. The damage analysis will be carried out on a similar optic (customer's optic will not be damaged). Testing may result in additional costs or lead times. Contact Tech Support for more information.

Pulsed Lasers

As previously stated, pulsed lasers typically induce a different type of damage to the optic than CW lasers. Pulsed lasers often do not heat the optic enough to damage it; instead, pulsed lasers produce strong electric fields capable of inducing dielectric breakdown in the material. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to compare the LIDT specification of an optic to your laser. There are multiple regimes in which a pulsed laser can damage an optic and this is based on the laser's pulse length. The highlighted columns in the table below outline the relevant pulse lengths for our specified LIDT values.

Pulses shorter than 10-9 s cannot be compared to our specified LIDT values with much reliability. In this ultra-short-pulse regime various mechanics, such as multiphoton-avalanche ionization, take over as the predominate damage mechanism [2]. In contrast, pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s may cause damage to an optic either because of dielectric breakdown or thermal effects. This means that both CW and pulsed damage thresholds must be compared to the laser beam to determine whether the optic is suitable for your application.

Pulse Duration t < 10-9 s 10-9 < t < 10-7 s 10-7 < t < 10-4 s t > 10-4 s
Damage Mechanism Avalanche Ionization Dielectric Breakdown Dielectric Breakdown or Thermal Thermal
Relevant Damage Specification No Comparison (See Above) Pulsed Pulsed and CW CW

When comparing an LIDT specified for a pulsed laser to your laser, it is essential to know the following:

Energy Density Scaling

LIDT in energy density vs. pulse length and spot size. For short pulses, energy density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

  1. Wavelength of your laser
  2. Energy density of your beam (total energy divided by 1/e2 area)
  3. Pulse length of your laser
  4. Pulse repetition frequency (prf) of your laser
  5. Beam diameter of your laser (1/e2 )
  6. Approximate intensity profile of your beam (e.g., Gaussian)

The energy density of your beam should be calculated in terms of J/cm2. The graph to the right shows why expressing the LIDT as an energy density provides the best metric for short pulse sources. In this regime, the LIDT given as an energy density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size. This calculation assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now adjust this energy density to account for hotspots or other nonuniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum energy density. For reference a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum energy density that is twice that of the 1/e2 beam.

Now compare the maximum energy density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately [3]. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has an inverse square root relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 1 J/cm2 at 1064 nm scales to 0.7 J/cm2 at 532 nm):

Pulse Wavelength Scaling

You now have a wavelength-adjusted energy density, which you will use in the following step.

Beam diameter is also important to know when comparing damage thresholds. While the LIDT, when expressed in units of J/cm², scales independently of spot size; large beam sizes are more likely to illuminate a larger number of defects which can lead to greater variances in the LIDT [4]. For data presented here, a <1 mm beam size was used to measure the LIDT. For beams sizes greater than 5 mm, the LIDT (J/cm2) will not scale independently of beam diameter due to the larger size beam exposing more defects.

The pulse length must now be compensated for. The longer the pulse duration, the more energy the optic can handle. For pulse widths between 1 - 100 ns, an approximation is as follows:

Pulse Length Scaling

Use this formula to calculate the Adjusted LIDT for an optic based on your pulse length. If your maximum energy density is less than this adjusted LIDT maximum energy density, then the optic should be suitable for your application. Keep in mind that this calculation is only used for pulses between 10-9 s and 10-7 s. For pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s, the CW LIDT must also be checked before deeming the optic appropriate for your application.

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. Contact Tech Support for more information.


[1] R. M. Wood, Optics and Laser Tech. 29, 517 (1998).
[2] Roger M. Wood, Laser-Induced Damage of Optical Materials (Institute of Physics Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 2003).
[3] C. W. Carr et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 127402 (2003).
[4] N. Bloembergen, Appl. Opt. 12, 661 (1973).

In order to illustrate the process of determining whether a given laser system will damage an optic, a number of example calculations of laser induced damage threshold are given below. For assistance with performing similar calculations, we provide a spreadsheet calculator that can be downloaded by clicking the button to the right. To use the calculator, enter the specified LIDT value of the optic under consideration and the relevant parameters of your laser system in the green boxes. The spreadsheet will then calculate a linear power density for CW and pulsed systems, as well as an energy density value for pulsed systems. These values are used to calculate adjusted, scaled LIDT values for the optics based on accepted scaling laws. This calculator assumes a Gaussian beam profile, so a correction factor must be introduced for other beam shapes (uniform, etc.). The LIDT scaling laws are determined from empirical relationships; their accuracy is not guaranteed. Remember that absorption by optics or coatings can significantly reduce LIDT in some spectral regions. These LIDT values are not valid for ultrashort pulses less than one nanosecond in duration.

Intensity Distribution
A Gaussian beam profile has about twice the maximum intensity of a uniform beam profile.

CW Laser Example
Suppose that a CW laser system at 1319 nm produces a 0.5 W Gaussian beam that has a 1/e2 diameter of 10 mm. A naive calculation of the average linear power density of this beam would yield a value of 0.5 W/cm, given by the total power divided by the beam diameter:

CW Wavelength Scaling

However, the maximum power density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the maximum power density of a uniform beam, as shown in the graph to the right. Therefore, a more accurate determination of the maximum linear power density of the system is 1 W/cm.

An AC127-030-C achromatic doublet lens has a specified CW LIDT of 350 W/cm, as tested at 1550 nm. CW damage threshold values typically scale directly with the wavelength of the laser source, so this yields an adjusted LIDT value:

CW Wavelength Scaling

The adjusted LIDT value of 350 W/cm x (1319 nm / 1550 nm) = 298 W/cm is significantly higher than the calculated maximum linear power density of the laser system, so it would be safe to use this doublet lens for this application.

Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different Pulse Durations
Suppose that a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system is frequency tripled to produce a 10 Hz output, consisting of 2 ns output pulses at 355 nm, each with 1 J of energy, in a Gaussian beam with a 1.9 cm beam diameter (1/e2). The average energy density of each pulse is found by dividing the pulse energy by the beam area:

Pulse Energy Density

As described above, the maximum energy density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the average energy density. So, the maximum energy density of this beam is ~0.7 J/cm2.

The energy density of the beam can be compared to the LIDT values of 1 J/cm2 and 3.5 J/cm2 for a BB1-E01 broadband dielectric mirror and an NB1-K08 Nd:YAG laser line mirror, respectively. Both of these LIDT values, while measured at 355 nm, were determined with a 10 ns pulsed laser at 10 Hz. Therefore, an adjustment must be applied for the shorter pulse duration of the system under consideration. As described on the previous tab, LIDT values in the nanosecond pulse regime scale with the square root of the laser pulse duration:

Pulse Length Scaling

This adjustment factor results in LIDT values of 0.45 J/cm2 for the BB1-E01 broadband mirror and 1.6 J/cm2 for the Nd:YAG laser line mirror, which are to be compared with the 0.7 J/cm2 maximum energy density of the beam. While the broadband mirror would likely be damaged by the laser, the more specialized laser line mirror is appropriate for use with this system.

Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different Wavelengths
Suppose that a pulsed laser system emits 10 ns pulses at 2.5 Hz, each with 100 mJ of energy at 1064 nm in a 16 mm diameter beam (1/e2) that must be attenuated with a neutral density filter. For a Gaussian output, these specifications result in a maximum energy density of 0.1 J/cm2. The damage threshold of an NDUV10A Ø25 mm, OD 1.0, reflective neutral density filter is 0.05 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 355 nm, while the damage threshold of the similar NE10A absorptive filter is 10 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 532 nm. As described on the previous tab, the LIDT value of an optic scales with the square root of the wavelength in the nanosecond pulse regime:

Pulse Wavelength Scaling

This scaling gives adjusted LIDT values of 0.08 J/cm2 for the reflective filter and 14 J/cm2 for the absorptive filter. In this case, the absorptive filter is the best choice in order to avoid optical damage.

Pulsed Microsecond Laser Example
Consider a laser system that produces 1 µs pulses, each containing 150 µJ of energy at a repetition rate of 50 kHz, resulting in a relatively high duty cycle of 5%. This system falls somewhere between the regimes of CW and pulsed laser induced damage, and could potentially damage an optic by mechanisms associated with either regime. As a result, both CW and pulsed LIDT values must be compared to the properties of the laser system to ensure safe operation.

If this relatively long-pulse laser emits a Gaussian 12.7 mm diameter beam (1/e2) at 980 nm, then the resulting output has a linear power density of 5.9 W/cm and an energy density of 1.2 x 10-4 J/cm2 per pulse. This can be compared to the LIDT values for a WPQ10E-980 polymer zero-order quarter-wave plate, which are 5 W/cm for CW radiation at 810 nm and 5 J/cm2 for a 10 ns pulse at 810 nm. As before, the CW LIDT of the optic scales linearly with the laser wavelength, resulting in an adjusted CW value of 6 W/cm at 980 nm. On the other hand, the pulsed LIDT scales with the square root of the laser wavelength and the square root of the pulse duration, resulting in an adjusted value of 55 J/cm2 for a 1 µs pulse at 980 nm. The pulsed LIDT of the optic is significantly greater than the energy density of the laser pulse, so individual pulses will not damage the wave plate. However, the large average linear power density of the laser system may cause thermal damage to the optic, much like a high-power CW beam.


Posted Comments:
Sebastian Schäfer  (posted 2021-09-23 13:20:24.21)
We have an aluminum mirror with SiO2 coating on it. Can you give us any hint on how to remove the SiO2 coating? We plan to re-aluminize the mirror, in order to do that we have to remove the SiO2 coating.
YLohia  (posted 2021-10-11 02:51:08.0)
Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. We don't recommend attempting to strip the SiO2 coating. There doesn't seem to be specific technique in scientific literature that has a consensus on being safe and effective. We will occasionally polish off the coating, but that’s the entire coating – overcoat, metal, binder layer, etc. all included. Alternatively, we occasionally use the ion gun in one of our coating chambers to etch-off material, so if you have access to one of those, you may try that.
Richard Fenrich  (posted 2020-10-15 14:56:12.11)
I recently purchased some PFSQ10-03-G01 mirrors from you for an application that is very sensitive to the coating thickness and flatness of the mirror. Can you tell me what is the SiO2 coating thickness for this mirror so I can make more accurate error assessments within the imaging system I am building? Thanks in advance.
YLohia  (posted 2020-10-15 04:55:59.0)
Unfortunately, the SiO2 coating thickness information is proprietary so we cannot disclose that information. As a ballpark, the thickness is hundreds of nanometers.
rkhour1  (posted 2018-07-02 18:25:52.567)
Do you have any information in regards to how thick the aluminum thin film coating is? Additionally, what is the substrate used?
YLohia  (posted 2018-07-03 02:32:14.0)
Unfortunately, the coating thickness is proprietary so we cannot disclose that information. As a ballpark, the thickness of the aluminum coating and the SiO2 lays is hundreds of nanometers. The substrate is fused silica.
mk773  (posted 2018-01-25 11:33:03.763)
Are the UV Enhanced Aluminium mirrors compatible with Ultra High Vacuum conditions? Specifically, in our case, that would be a pressure of ~10^-10 mbar, and we could tolerate outgassing of up to 10^-9 mbar*l/s. Thank you!
tfrisch  (posted 2018-01-25 02:29:43.0)
Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The UV Enhanced Aluminum Coating is coated under vacuum, but it isn't anywhere near 10^-10mbar. It is closer to about 10^-6mbar. Unfortunately, we don't have any vacuum chambers that could test in ultrahigh vacuum, but I will reach out to you directly to discuss this application.
user  (posted 2017-07-26 10:29:46.953)
What's the measurement error on Reflectance data? What's the average and maximum Reflectance variation from lot to lot? Is it wavelength dependent?
tfrisch  (posted 2017-08-16 09:16:45.0)
Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The measurement error would be tied to the spectrophotometer used to measure the reflectance, but unfortunately, we only test for the average reflection across the operating band. That said, the instruments have tight stray light specification, and metal coatings are not expected to have large variations. We can provide spectral test data for an individual mirror as a custom if you reach out to TechSupport@Thorlabs.com.
ciphelan  (posted 2017-04-22 17:58:32.34)
What is the thickness of the MgF2 layer?
nbayconich  (posted 2017-04-25 11:07:07.0)
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. The thickness of the MgF2 layer varies from run to run for these mirrors. A Tech Support representative will contact you directly with more information.
yangtiangang  (posted 2016-10-28 15:14:20.07)
Can PF10-03-F01 be used in UHV system ? about 1e-10 Torr
tfrisch  (posted 2016-10-31 05:57:57.0)
Hello, thank you for your feedback. I have contacted you directly about your application.
up200403369  (posted 2015-09-25 11:28:16.853)
Hi, I was wondering if you could provide the group-delay dispersion of the UV enhanced mirror in the wavelength region of 240nm to 300nm; Thank you.
besembeson  (posted 2015-10-08 12:58:45.0)
Response from Bweh at Thorlabs USA: Sorry we don't have this data at this time.
john.christie  (posted 2014-09-14 19:58:27.167)
The reflection data accessible from the UV Enhanced and Protected Aluminum Mirrors page stop at 220 nm. However your responses to earlier inquiries indicates that you have some data for shorter wavelengths. Can we see any such data please?
myanakas  (posted 2014-11-25 04:41:22.0)
Response from Mike at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. We do have unpolarized data for our UV-Enhanced Aluminum mirrors down to 200 nm. I will contact you directly with this data. We are currently looking into updating the website with this data.
wise.adam.jay  (posted 2014-05-27 14:11:31.963)
Any idea on reflectivity from 120nm-200nm?
cdaly  (posted 2014-06-03 04:29:50.0)
Response from Chris at Thorlabs: Thank you for your inquiry. I'm afraid we do not have the capability to measure the reflectivity below 185 nm due to the equipment necessary. The aluminum should have some reflectivity in this range, but unfortunately, we cannot specify a percentage.
jeffchou  (posted 2013-09-17 11:03:09.873)
Is it possible to obtain reflection measurement data of the protected aluminum mirrors at higher angles (>45 deg)? I am running some experiments at high incident angles, from 0deg to 80deg at 10 deg increments. It would be very helpful if I could get the mirror reflection data at these angles as well. Thanks! Jeff
jlow  (posted 2013-09-18 14:18:00.0)
Response from Jeremy at Thorlabs: We could take some scans for the mirror at higher AOI. The maximum that we can measure is around 68° AOI at the moment. We will contact you directly to provide the scans.
g.mcconnell  (posted 2013-07-24 14:57:16.043)
What is the thickness of the silicon oxide coating on the PF10-03-G01 mirror?
cdaly  (posted 2013-07-24 15:54:00.0)
Response from Chris at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. The thickness of the silicon oxide layer can vary from mirror to mirror. It is typically very thin, but I'm afraid this is information that is considered proprietary so I will have to contact you directly to discuss the issue.
bdada  (posted 2011-12-15 17:52:00.0)
Response from Buki at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. We measure the reflectivity at 8 degrees becasue it is the smallest angle at which we can make the measurement. However, we do not expect the reflectivity to change from 0 degrees to 8 degrees. Please contact TechSupport@thorlabs.com if you have further questions.
thomas.connolley  (posted 2011-12-14 18:00:26.0)
There may be a labelling error in your Excel spreadsheet of reflectance data for UV-Enhanced Al mirrors. The Label says FO1 8 deg AOI Refleactance Should this be zero degree?
bdada  (posted 2011-10-25 23:55:00.0)
Response from Buki at Thorlabs: Thank you for using our Web Feedback tool. As a guideline, please use 200W/cm^2 for a 1mm diameter beam at 1064nm. Please contact TechSupport@thorlabs.com if you have further questions.
luis.dussan  (posted 2011-10-20 09:10:35.0)
What is the CW damage threshold for protected and enhanced aluminum coatings at 1550nm please?
lmorgus  (posted 2011-08-11 13:35:00.0)
Response from Laurie at Thorlabs to skovale: Thank you for your interest in concave mirrors. Thorlabs does provide a line of concave mirrors although our stocked surface flatness spec is lambda/4 instead of lambda/10. They can be found by clicking on the first "related products" link at the top of this page or directly via this URL: http://www.thorlabs.de/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=1161. We currently offer 1" versions with f = 100. Larger diameter versions (2 and 3 inch) have longer focal length options up to 500 mm in stock. Depending on your setup, these may be suitable. Incidentally, we are also about to release versions of these with a UV Enhanced Aluminum Coating or one of our dielectric coatings. Should these not be suitable for your application, we can quote a custom 1/2" or 1" with the tighter surface flatness value and higher focal lengths. We will contact you directly to learn more about your needs.
skovale  (posted 2011-08-11 19:08:53.0)
There is a big need in concave, 1 inch and 1/2 inch diameter, mirrors (lambda/10) for focusing laser pulses with focal lengths in the range 100-1000 mm, say f=100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000 mm. I myself and many customers will bye such mirrors. Bests, Sergey Kovalenko
jjurado  (posted 2011-07-18 14:16:00.0)
Response from Javier at Thorlabs to jliu: The reflectivity of our UV enhanced aluminum G01 coating at 45 degree angle of incidence and 325 nm is ~82% (unpolarized light). We can also offer custom sizes. I will contact you directly for further assistance.
jliu  (posted 2011-07-15 17:08:01.0)
I need by one mirror for laser reflection to make grating. The wavelength is 325nm. I did not find the spec about the reflectivity around 45 degree on wavelength at 325nm. The size I request is 60mm x 100mm x 18mm. Looking forward to getting help from you as soon as possible. Thanks a lot. Julius Inphenix 925-606-8809 ext 8041
jjurado  (posted 2011-07-07 15:28:00.0)
Response from Javier at Thorlabs to john.kirtley: Thank you very much for contacting us. We are currently working on generating some data for the temperature tolerance of our protected metal coated mirrors. We will contact you with this information directly once we have the results.
john.kirtley  (posted 2011-06-29 09:14:25.0)
Hi,I recently bought two UV enhanced mirrors for a high temperature application. Do you by chance have data on the tolerable ambient temperature range of these mirrors? Thanks, John
bdada  (posted 2011-06-13 20:02:00.0)
Response from Buki at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback. We find your comment very useful in making sure that our products are presented well. The graphs online at 0 degrees AOI shows reflection down to 200nm. We will be updating the graph for the 45 degrees AOI shortly to show reflection down to 210nm. This reflectivity data from 210nm to 1000nm is available to download online on the product page of Aluminum Mirrors. http://www.thorlabs.com/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=264 Please contact TechSupport@thorlabs.com if you have further questions.
ftalbot  (posted 2011-06-07 18:02:15.0)
The reflectance curves you display cover 350nm-1000nm... This encompasses mostly the visible (~60% of that range), the near IR (~30% of that range) and some UV (barely half the UVB range and ~10% of your displayed range). From these curves, I really do not see how you can have the nerve to call that mirror a "UV enhanced Aluminum mirror"!!!!!! Is that a joke? If you want to sell us UV mirrors, SHOW US THE UV REFLECTIVITIES !!!!
Thorlabs  (posted 2010-07-29 14:24:14.0)
Response from Javier at Thorlabs to Xavier: Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, we do not have damage threshold information for our metallic mirrors at or near this wavelength. However, as a guideline, we specify ~50W/cm^2 for CW light at 1064 nm. AT 253nm, this value is expected to be much lower, generally by a factor equal to the ratio of the two wavelengths (4.20, ~11 W/cm^2). This is higher than your operating power density, but there are other factors such as UV absorption, and cleanliness of the mirror which can affect the overall performance. I will contact you directly to discuss your application.
xavier.fain  (posted 2010-07-28 16:57:49.0)
Hello, I have been using the PF10-03-F01 Al mirror with a 253n laser beam. beam power is ~ 1.7W/cm2, and I observe some damage on the mirror surface. Could you provide a Damage Threshold for the PF10-03-F01 Al mirror ? Could you recommend a similar mirror which could work with high power beam? Thanks Xavier
Tyler  (posted 2008-12-26 08:50:18.0)
A response from Tyler at Thorlabs to Etay: The aluminum mirrors that you are inquiring about have a flat face (infinite radius of curvature). The flatness of the face is specified as lambda/10 at 633 nm. This corresponds to a maximum variation in the surface of 63.3 nm. If we assume that the center of the mirror is the highest point and the edge of the mirror is the lowest point, then for a 1? mirror the lower limit on the radius of curvature would be approximately 2500 meters.
lavert  (posted 2008-12-24 05:41:04.0)
Hello, I have this mirror and would very like to know th curvature radii of it Regards, Etay
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Round Protected Aluminum Mirrors

Item # PF05-03-G01 PF07-03-G01 PF10-03-G01 PF20-03-G01
Diameter 1/2" (12.7 mm) 19.0 mm 1" (25.4 mm) 2" (50.8 mm)
Diameter Tolerance +0.0 mm / -0.1 mm
Thickness 6.0 mm (0.24") 6.0 mm (0.24") 6.0 mm (0.24") 12.0 mm (0.47")
Thickness Tolerance ±0.2 mm
Reflectance Ravg >90% from 450 nm - 2 µm
Ravg >95% from 2 - 20 µm
Reflectance Curve
(Click for Plot)
Click Here for Raw Data
Substrate Fused Silica
Flatness (Peak to Valley) λ/10 @ 633 nm
Parallelism <3 arcmin
Clear Aperture >90% of Diameter
Damage Threshold (Pulsed) 0.3 J/cm2 at 1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz, Ø1.000 mm
Damage Threshold (CW)a 100 W/cm at 1.070 µm, Ø0.098 mm
350 W/cm at 10.6 µm, Ø0.339 mm
  • The power density of your beam should be calculated in terms of W/cm. For an explanation of why the linear power density provides the best metric for long pulse and CW sources, please see the Damage Thresholds tab.
Based on your currency / country selection, your order will ship from Newton, New Jersey  
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Universal Price Available
PF05-03-G01 Support Documentation
PF05-03-G01Ø1/2" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$39.81
Today
PF05-03-G01-10 Support Documentation
PF05-03-G01-10 Ø1/2" Protected Aluminum Mirror, 10 Pack
$348.38
Today
PF07-03-G01 Support Documentation
PF07-03-G01Ø19.0 mm Protected Aluminum Mirror
$53.47
Today
PF10-03-G01 Support Documentation
PF10-03-G01Ø1" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$56.26
Today
PF10-03-G01-10 Support Documentation
PF10-03-G01-10 Ø1" Protected Aluminum Mirror, 10 Pack
$486.21
Today
PF20-03-G01 Support Documentation
PF20-03-G01Ø2" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$108.11
Today
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Square Protected Aluminum Mirrors

Item # PFSQ05-03-G01 PFSQ10-03-G01 PFSQ20-03-G01
Face Dimensions 1/2" x 1/2" (12.7 x 12.7 mm) 1" x 1" (25.4 x 25.4 mm) 2" x 2" (50.8 x 50.8 mm)
Face Dimensions Tolerance +0.0 mm / -0.1 mm
Thickness 6.0 mm (0.24")
Thickness Tolerance ±0.2 mm
Reflectance Ravg >90% from 450 nm - 2 µm
Ravg >95% from 2 - 20 µm
Reflectance Curve
(Click for Plot)
Click Here for Raw Data
Substrate UV Fused Silica
Flatness (Peak to Valley) λ/10 @ 633 nm λ/8 @ 633 nm
Parallelism <3 arcmin
Clear Aperture >90% of Dimension
Damage Threshold (Pulse) 0.3 J/cm2 at 1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz, Ø1.000 mm
Damage Threshold (CW)a 100 W/cm at 1.070 µm, Ø0.098 mm
350 W/cm at 10.6 µm, Ø0.339 mm
  • The power density of your beam should be calculated in terms of W/cm. For an explanation of why the linear power density provides the best metric for long pulse and CW sources, please see the Damage Thresholds tab.
Based on your currency / country selection, your order will ship from Newton, New Jersey  
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Universal Price Available
PFSQ05-03-G01 Support Documentation
PFSQ05-03-G011/2" x 1/2" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$39.81
Today
PFSQ10-03-G01 Support Documentation
PFSQ10-03-G011" x 1" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$58.23
Today
PFSQ20-03-G01 Support Documentation
PFSQ20-03-G012" x 2" Protected Aluminum Mirror
$135.42
Today