Home / Products / Thin Film Coatings / Antireflection Coatings, ARC-series

Antireflection Coatings

High-quality AR-coated glass

ARC Series

Special Properties

  • Highly efficient reduction of surface reflection
  • High transmission for visible wavelengths
  • Excellent suppression of ghost images, phantom light, or double laser beams
  • Refractive index is adapted to the glass-air transition
  • All-dielectric metal-free multi-layer coating
  • Metal-free layers
  • Low light absorption
  • High abrasion resistance
  • Excellent coating adhesion
  • Low rest-reflection
  • Available down to 0,7 mm thickness

Typical Applications

  • Antireflection coating for optical windows, lenses, and beamsplitters
  • Sensor cover glasses
  • Windows in medical devices
  • Laser windows
  • BBAR-coating for optical measuring instruments
  • Automotive cockpit glass surfaces
  • Camera protection window
  • Robotics applications
  • AR-coating for single lenses and lens assemblies

Related coatings

Request for Quotation

48h-Express Service Also available in 48 h Express-Service


Our ARC coating offers excellent anti-reflective performance and high light transmission for the visible wavelength range. The vacuum-deposited dielectric optical thin-film layers adapt the refractive index of the substrate glass to the ambient air. As a result, the multi-layer coating reduces the surface reflection to a minimum.

Typically about 4,25% of light in the visible wavelength spectrum is reflected from each glass surface. Around 8,5% of the light gets lost per uncoated element in an optical system through reflection caused by refractive index mismatch. Our ARC-coating reduces such reflections in parts of this spectral range to less than 0,2% per surface, which is considerably better than simple single-layer anti-reflective coatings that often reflect 1-2% of light.

Another unwanted effect in optical systems caused by surface reflection is the so-called ghost imaging. A transmitted image is superimposed with a weak identical ghost image, resulting in degraded sharpness and blurry imaging. The ARC broadband antireflection coating suppresses such unwanted secondary reflection effectively. Hence, the transmitted image remains sharp, brighter, and has much better contrast. Imaging accuracy is maintained, and almost no light gets lost by reflection. When used as a laser window, our ARC materials also reduce secondary laser beams. The available light power increases because nearly the entire energy of the laser beam is transmitted.

The layers of our double-side coated ARC and single-side coated ARC-1S standard AR-coatings are applied to selected iron-reduced float glasses using a vacuum deposition process. For the ARC-B series, we use premium grade BOROFLOAT® substrate material. We ensure the best light transmission by adapting the refractive index of each antireflection coating to the respective substrate glass.

All ARC coatings are usually always available, as we produce them regularly. Our coating capabilities are not limited to the antireflection coatings described on this website. On request, we also coat other substrate materials or finished optics. We also apply our anti-reflective layers to optical lenses and other optics provided by the customer on a per-batch basis. On request, customized AR-coatings for a different wavelength range are also available.

 

How do I receive an offer? Do you have fixed standard dimensions?

Our company specializes in the rapid production and delivery of optics with individual sizes. We can quote, fabricate, and deliver custom-sized optics as fast as fixed-dimensions off-the-shelf usually can ship. Hence, you can order precisely the dimensions you need at any time! Rapid custom manufacturing of optics that perfectly fit in your application without any modification is our strength.

To request a quotation for any of our ARC antireflection coatings with particular dimensions, please select a thickness from the table you find in the specifications or use the following button.

 

Request for Quotation

48h-Express Service Also available in 48 h Express-Service

 

Specifications & Properties


ARC antireflection coating compared
to the reflection of uncoated glass

Reflection curve of an uncoated glass compared to a ARC-coated window
Enlarge curve to show details


Standard thicknesses

(Please click on a glass thickness to request a quote)

Thickness (mm)

Tolerance

 48h-Express Service

ARC: double-side antireflection coating,
substrate material Selected Float glass
0,70 ±0,50 ✔
1,10 ±0,10 ✔
2,00 ±0,20 ✔
3,00 ±0,20 ✔
Custom thickness on request

ARC-1S: single-side antireflection coating,
substrate material Selected Float glass
2,00 ±0,20 ✔
Custom thickness on request

ARC-B: double-side antireflection coating,
substrate material BOROFLOAT®

1,10 ±0,10 -
2,00 ±0,20  ✔
3,30 ±0,20 ✔
Custom thickness on request
The thicknesses marked with "✔" are also available within 48–h Express Service.

Spectral Characteristics

  • Absolute rest-reflection:
    Rabs </= 0,6% per surface at a wavelength range of 450-650 nm (i = 0°) for unpolarized light
  • Average rest-reflection:
    Ravg < 0,3% per surface at a wavelength range
    of 430-660 nm (i = 0-15°), for unpolarized light
  • AR-coating for other wavelengths per inquiry
  • Characteristics for laser use per inquiry
  • Modified coating layers per inquiry

Coating Construction

  • Index-matched multi-layer BBAR-coating for the visible wavelength spectrum

Flatness

  • Depending on the substrate glass and thickness

Surface Quality

  • better than 80-50 scratch & dig (MIL-0-13830A)
    (typically better than 60-40)
  • Higher surface quality on request

Other Specifications

  • Coating layer adhesion according to MIL-C-675 C
  • Abrasion resistance according to MIL-M-13508 C

 

If you want us to apply a custom anti-reflection coating on your lenses, please let us know the exact specifications of your lenses. It is essential to specify the lens material's refraction index, the precise lens dimensions, and focal length. The provided lenses must not already have any coating on their surfaces. Please inform us about the maximum allowed residual reflection of the lens surface, the relevant wavelength range, and the light source you plan to use. Please consider that such custom coatings are only possible in production quantities.

 

All given details and specifications are mean reference values and are not guaranteed. Also, please consider our "Notes on specifications".

© 1994 - 2021 Präzisions Glas & Optik GmbH