Infrared Optics – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Infrared optics, particularly long-wave infrared (LWIR) thermal imaging lenses, are crucial components in various applications such as automotive, thermography, security and surveillance, firefighting, medical diagnostics, and smart sensing. MOK Optics specializes in designing and manufacturing lens assemblies that strike the right balance between cost and performance.

Our lens assemblies are developed based on extensive materials knowledge and collaboration between experienced design teams, prototype teams, and high-volume manufacturing facilities. Quality is paramount in our offerings, and all lenses undergo stringent testing to meet exacting military specifications during the prototype phase. We use customized high-speed production test equipment to ensure that all production lenses maintain the same high standards.

Our product portfolio includes compact, lightweight, athermalized LWIR imaging assemblies that are compatible with the latest sensor formats. These assemblies are designed to deliver exceptional performance across various infrared imaging applications, providing clear and accurate imaging for critical tasks like surveillance, firefighting, medical diagnostics, and more.

One of the key materials we work with is sapphire (Al2O3) crystal, known for its outstanding properties such as high surface hardness, temperature resistance, thermal conductivity, UV-IR transmittance, and chemical stability. Sapphire is effective across a wide range of wavelengths, from ultraviolet (UV) and visible light to infrared (IR) up to around 5µm. Its exceptional optical and mechanical qualities make it a preferred choice for demanding infrared applications that require durability, reliability, and high performance.

MOK Optics offers a range of sapphire optics, including windows, light guides, tubes, domes, and custom-shaped components. These optics find applications in IPL beauty machines, IR laser systems, high-temperature IR windows, protection windows, and more. We can manufacture ultrathin sapphire windows with a thickness as low as 0.15mm and provide anti-reflective (AR) coatings as needed.

Germanium

Germanium(Ge) has excellent transmission performance in the 2-16 micron band and opacity in the visible spectrum, This makes it an ideal choice for biomedical and thermal imaging system.They are often used as windows of the thermal imaging system and optical components. and can produce windows, lenses and prisms and other special shaped products according to customer requirements.

MOK Optics capability:

We produce various of germanium windows and germanium lenses upon customer requirements. The transmision of Ge is around 50% at 2-14μm, we typically need to make AR coating for Ge optics, we can also make DLC coating for Ge windows(Diamond like carbon coating).