Gooch & Housego’s precision optics group encompasses five operations, located in the UK and the US. Each operation is focused on expanding and developing its unique capabilities:
- Nonlinear optical crystal growth
- Superpolishing
- Single-point diamond turning
- Crystal quartz waveplate production
- Anti-reflection, high reflection, and high laser damage threshold coatings
- Adhesive-free bonding
Across our facilities, we have experience and qualifications to serve our customers in defense, metrology, and medical sectors:
- Export regulation compliant
- ITAR compliant
- ISO 9001 registered
- AS 9100 registered
Non-linear optical crystal growth
Beginning with the raw chemicals we grow, orient, fabricate, finish, coat, and mount: Beta Barium Borate (BBO), Cadmium Sulfide (CdS), Cadmium Selenide (CdSe), Potassium Di-hydrogen Phosphate (KDP), Potassium Di-deuterium Phosphate (KD*P), Lithium Niobate (LnNbO3— often referred to as LN), and Tellurium Dioxide (TeO2).
Superpolishing
Gooch & Housego has supplied superpolished optics to NASA’s Mars Curiosity mission and to international synchrotron experiments. Superpolished materials include N-BK7 Optical Glass, Calcium Fluoride, Crystal Quartz, Fused Silica, Nd:YAG, Sapphire, Silicon Carbide, YAG and ZERODUR®.
Coatings
Gooch & Housego has four factories with thin film optical coating chambers, two based in the USA and two in the UK, offering coating based on the following coating technologies and coating types:
Technology | Coating |
Thermal evaporation | Anti-reflection (AR) V-coats, double-V coats & broadband?AR |
Electron beam gun evaporation (E-Beam) | High-reflection (HR) |
Ion assisted E-beam deposition (IAD) | Metallic & Dielectric Mirrors |
Ion beam sputtering (IBS) | Bandpass filters: shortpass and longpass Beamsplitters: polarizing and non-polarizing |
Adhesive-free Bonding
Gooch & Housego’s adhesive-free bonding process, Hy-Per Bond™, activates precision optical surfaces prior to joining them, forming permanent bonds between the components that are resistant to humidity and cryogenic temperatures.