Ultra-High-Vacuum Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges

Overview
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Features

Construction Enables use at Vacuum Levels Down to 1 × 10^-10 Torr
Mates to Ø2.75" (DN40) CF Flanges
Bake-Out can be Conducted at Temperatures up to 250 °C
Feedthroughs Available with Ø200 µm or Ø600 µm Core Multimode Fiber
Low-OH and High-OH Offerings for Different Spectral Ranges
Compatible with Thorlabs' Vacuum-Compatible Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cables

Thorlabs' Ultra-High-Vacuum-Compatible Ø2.73" (DN40) Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges allow for optical coupling into Ultra-High-Vacuum (UHV) systems down to 10^-10 Torr from the outside environment using SMA905-terminated cables. When using fiber patch cables in a vacuum environment, ensure that the cables are vacuum compatible. Four wavelength ranges from the UV to the Near-IR are available. These fiber feedthroughs incorporate a multimode step index optical fiber, available with either a Ø200 µm or Ø600 µm core, that has a low insertion loss of ≤2.3 dB and can handle optical powers up to 1 W.

Designed for use at UHV pressures, each of Thorlabs' fiber feedthrough CF flange utilizes a hermetically sealed fiber in a stainless steel shell. The CF-style flange utilizes a knife-edge mechanism to create an airtight seal between mating pieces. To accomplish the seal, a copper gasket is most often employed. As the bolts of the mating pair are tightened, the knife edge “bites” into the copper gasket, deforming it. The extruded metal fills all the machining marks and surface defects, which yields a leak-tight seal. Please note that the copper gasket is not included.

The fiber feedthrough features a male SMA905 connector on both ends; mating sleeves may be used to connect fiber patch cables to the feedthrough. Thorlabs offers the ADASMAV for mating vacuum-compatible patch cables inside a vacuum environment, such as mating to the UHV fiber feedthrough CF flanges. This mating sleeve is a vacuum-compatible version of the ADASMA SMA to SMA Mating Sleeve. Constructed using 304 stainless steel, this adapter is designed to be used within ultra-high vacuum systems (>10^-10 Torr) and features a Ø0.063" (Ø1.6 mm) hole through the body to serve as a vent, allowing trapped gas to escape.

Thorlabs also sells CF flange viewports for Ø1" windows, Ø1.5" flat windows, and Ø1.5” wedged windows as well as an extended line of vacuum-compatible parts.

Posted Comments:

schaefer (posted 2016-09-02 09:33:33.39)

Can you provide such a UHV feedthrough, but without connectors directly at the flange? Instead I would like to have a fiber going through the flange with something like 20cm fiber with a FC/PC connector on the vacuum side and 2m on the non-vacuum side (FC/PC). As for fibers: FG105LVA or FG050UGA would be of interest to me.

tfrisch (posted 2016-09-07 01:30:10.0)

Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. We will contact you directly about your application. Acrylate coated fibers will outgas in vacuum, so they should not be used.

andrew.davies.physics (posted 2016-08-26 11:35:25.4)

You should allow custom fibers to be placed in the feedthrough. For instance I would like to use your FG105LVA fiber. The different core size would cause large coupling losses on both ends.

tfrisch (posted 2016-09-01 09:30:49.0)

Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. Unfortunately, FG105LVA has an acrylate coating which will outgas in vacuum. I will reach out to you directly.

user (posted 2014-11-21 10:09:59.43)

Could you make a FC/apc version of this feedthrough?

cdaly (posted 2014-11-25 01:55:12.0)

Response from Chris at Thorlabs: Yes, we should be able to provide this as a custom for the time being and are looking at introducing it as a standard part as well. Please contact us at techsupport@thorlabs.com if you require a quote for this item.

Ø200 µm Ultra-High-Vacuum Feedthrough

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Ø2.73" (DN40), Male SMA905 Terminated Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges
Multimode Step Index Optical Fiber with Ø200 µm Core
Double-Bagged for Cleanroom Environments

Thorlabs' Ø2.73" (DN40) Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges are fixed (non-rotating) flanges with male SMA905 fiber connectors on both sides. The fibers are held in place by a glass-ceramic hermetic seal, creating an airtight feedthrough that is suitable for use with chambers operating at pressures down to 10^-10 Torr. Mating sleeves may be used to connect fiber patch cables to the feedthrough; we recommend the ADASMAV (sold below) when mating a patch cable to the CF flange on the vacuum side. These flanges have six 1/4" (M6) through holes for bolting onto any standard DN40 CF flange.

Note: Mounting hardware and CF flange copper gasket seals are not included.

Item #	Wavelength Range	Fiber Core Diameter	Attenuation Range (Click to Enlarge)	NA	Vacuum Level	Insertion Loss	Max Optical Power	Max Temperature
VC2H2S	200 - 1200 nm	200 µm		0.22 ± 0.02	1 × 10^-10 Torr	≤2.3 dB	1 W	250 °C
VC2L2S	400 - 2400 nm	200 µm		0.22 ± 0.02	1 × 10^-10 Torr	≤2.3 dB	1 W	250 °C

Ø600 µm Ultra-High-Vacuum Fiber Feedthrough

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Ø2.73" (DN40), Male SMA905 Terminated Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges
Multimode Step Index Optical Fiber with Ø600 µm Core
Double-Bagged for Cleanroom Environments

Note: Mounting hardware and CF flange copper gasket seals are not included.

Item #	Wavelength Range	Fiber Core Diameter	Attenuation Range (Click to Enlarge)	NA	Vacuum Level	Insertion Loss	Max Optical Power	Max Temperature
V2H6S	200 - 800 nm	600 µm		0.22 ± 0.02	1 × 10^-10 Torr	≤2.3 dB	1 W	250 °C
V2L6S	400 - 2200 nm	600 µm		0.22 ± 0.02	1 × 10^-10 Torr	≤2.3 dB	1 W	250 °C

Vacuum-Compatible SMA to SMA Mating Sleeve

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Vacuum Compatibility Specifications
Vacuum Compatibility as Packaged^a	10^-10 Torr
Materials	304 Stainless Steel
Preparation and Packaging	Chemically Cleaned and Double Vacuum Bagged
Stainless Steel Outgassing Rate at 20 °C	1.8 x 10^-8 Torr-Liters/s/cm²

Prior to placing any components in a vacuum system, we recommend using an appropriate cleaning procedure, which will be dependent on the application, as well as a pre-baking in a bake-out oven to remove moisture and surface volatiles.

Click to Enlarge
The ADASMAV has a Ø0.063" (Ø1.6 mm) vent hole.

Air-Spaced SMA to SMA Mating Sleeve for Ultra-High-Vacuum Applications
Constructed from 304 Stainless Steel
<1.5 dB Insertion Loss (Typical Loss for a Pair of Ø200 µm Core Multimode Fibers)
Double-Bagged for Cleanroom Environments
Compatible with Thorlabs' Vacuum-Compatible Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cables

Thorlabs' ADASMAV Mating Sleeve is a vacuum-compatible version of the ADASMA SMA to SMA Mating Sleeve. Constructed using 304 stainless steel, this adapter is designed to be used within ultra-high vacuum systems (>10^-10 Torr) and features a Ø0.063" (Ø1.6 mm) vent hole in the side to allow trapped gases to escape (see image to the right). Unlike the standard version, the ADASMAV is only compatible with SMA905-style connectors. A 304 stainless steel washer and nut are included for custom mounting.

Additional Vacuum-Compatible Components
Many of our patch cables can be special ordered for vacuum use. Contact Tech Support for details.

Vacuum Compatibility Information
Our vacuum-compatible adapter is chemically cleaned and prepared for vacuum applications before packaging. It is compatible directly out of the packaging with vacuum environments down to 10^-10 Torr. With additional cleaning and processing, it can be used at even lower pressures, only limited by the outgassing rate of the stainless steel (see the table above). The material properties of the stainless steel and the cleaning methods completed by the end user should be used to determine the appropriateness of these products and materials in a specific vacuum system. Please note that using caps or panels not rated for vacuum applications with the ADASMAV is not recommended.

We also offer other vacuum-compatible components which may be used in vacuum applications.

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Ultra-High-Vacuum Fiber Feedthrough CF Flanges

Features

Ø200 µm Ultra-High-Vacuum Feedthrough

Ø600 µm Ultra-High-Vacuum Fiber Feedthrough

Vacuum-Compatible SMA to SMA Mating Sleeve