Optical Material

Calcium Fluoride (CaF₂)

Calcium Fluoride (CaF₂) is a crystalline optical material with an extraordinarily broad transmission range spanning from the deep ultraviolet through the mid-infrared. Its extremely low dispersion makes it invaluable for UV optics, spectroscopy, and ultrafast laser systems.

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Key Optical Properties

Property	Value
Transmission Range	170 nm – 9.0 μm
Refractive Index	1.4338 @ 587.6nm
Thermal Expansion	18.9 × 10⁻⁶ /K (20-300°C)
Density	3.18 g/cm³
Knoop Hardness	158 HK

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Advantages

Extremely broad transmission (170nm to 9μm)
Very low dispersion (Abbe number ~95)
Deep UV transparency — no solarization
Low refractive index for simple AR coating
Useful for UV, VIS, and IR simultaneously

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Limitations

Soft material — easily scratched (low hardness)
High thermal expansion coefficient
Cleaves easily — special handling required
Hygroscopic (absorbs moisture over time)
More expensive than glass materials

Typical Applications

Deep UV spectroscopy

Ultrafast laser systems (low dispersion)

Excimer laser optics

FTIR and IR spectroscopy

Lithography and UV imaging

Common Coating Options

Standard coating types available for this material. Custom coating designs available on request.

● Deep UV AR coatings

● Broadband VIS-IR AR

● Partial reflection coatings

● Anti-reflection for 193nm / 248nm

● IR anti-reflection coatings

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Calcium Fluoride (CaF₂)

Key Optical Properties

Advantages

Limitations

Typical Applications

Common Coating Options

Products Using CaF2 Optical Material

Windows

CaF2 Circular/Square Windows

Polarizers

IR Polarizers

Glan Taylor Prisms

Glan Laser Prisms

Glan Thompson Prisms

Wollaston Prisms

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