Cylindrical Lenses

Name: Cylindrical Lenses
Brand: PhotonEdge
SKU: PE-LENS-CYL-007
Availability: LimitedAvailability

Key Specifications

Type	Plano-Convex / Plano-Concave Cylindrical
Material	N-BK7
Diameter	5-50 mm
Focal Length	5-500 mm
Wavelength	350-2000 nm
Surface Quality	40-20 / 20-10
Curvature Axis	Specified on drawing
Coatings	AR coatings available

What Is a Cylindrical Lenses?

Cylindrical lenses have curvature in only one axis, focusing or diverging light in a single dimension while leaving the orthogonal dimension unaffected. This creates line foci, corrects astigmatism, or shapes beams asymmetrically.

They are essential for laser line generation (barcode scanners, machine vision), anamorphic beam shaping, and correcting astigmatism in optical systems.

When Should You Use This Product?

✔ Good Choice When

✓ Laser line generation for scanning or illumination
✓ Correcting astigmatism in optical systems
✓ Anamorphic beam shaping (e.g., diode laser circularization)
✓ Asymmetric focusing in one axis only

⚠ Consider an Alternative When

✗ Symmetric focusing needed → Plano-Convex (Spherical) Lens

✗ UV wavelength required → UV Fused Silica Cylindrical

✗ Cross-cylinder correction → Pair of cylindrical lenses

✗ Diverging in one axis → Plano-Concave Cylindrical

Available Optical Materials

Select the optimal substrate material based on your wavelength, environment, and budget requirements.

Material	Transmission	Key Advantage	Considerations
N-BK7	VIS / NIR (350-2000nm)	General-purpose, low cost, good homogeneity	Not suitable for UV < 350nm
UV Fused Silica	UV / VIS / NIR (185-2100nm)	Excellent UV transmission, low absorption, high LIDT	Higher cost than BK7
CaF₂	Deep UV / VIS / IR (130-7800nm)	Broadest transmission range, low refractive index	Fragile, higher cost
Sapphire	UV / VIS / NIR (150-5500nm)	Extremely hard (9H), scratch resistant	Birefringent, higher refractive index

Not sure which material to choose?

Ask AI Optical Engineer

Optical Coating Options

AR 350-650nm

Broadband AR for visible range. R < 0.5% per surface.

Typical use: General visible laser and imaging

AR 650-950nm

AR for NIR range (780nm, 808nm, 850nm diodes).

Typical use: NIR laser diode collimation and fiber coupling

AR 950-1250nm

AR for 1064nm and nearby wavelengths.

Typical use: Nd:YAG and fiber laser systems

BBAR

Low reflection across 400-1000nm broadband.

Typical use: Multispectral applications

Uncoated

Raw glass surface. ~4% reflection per surface.

Typical use: Non-critical applications

How to Specify Your Coating

To select the right coating, please provide: (1) Operating wavelength, (2) Angle of incidence, (3) Required transmission or reflectivity, (4) Laser power density (if applicable), (5) Operating environment.

Engineering Considerations

Key factors to evaluate when specifying this optical component for your system.

Axis Orientation

Clearly specify the curvature axis orientation in your system. Rotation errors cause beam shape distortion.

Line Width

Determined by focal length and input beam diameter. Shorter focal length = thinner line but shorter working distance.

Astigmatism Correction

Use cylindrical lenses to compensate for unequal curvatures in the optical system. Measure and match axes carefully.

Pairing for Circularization

Diode laser beams are typically astigmatic. A cylindrical lens pair (one per axis) can circularize the beam.

Applications

Laser Systems

Beam delivery, focusing, and conditioning for industrial and scientific laser systems.

Semiconductor

Wafer inspection, lithography support, and process control optics.

Machine Vision

Image formation in inspection systems and quality control cameras.

Research & Education

Laboratory optics, teaching setups, and experimental beam paths.

Manufacturing & Customization

PhotonEdge supports optical component sourcing, engineering review, and qualified manufacturing through our optical manufacturing network. We coordinate production, coating, and inspection to deliver components that meet your specifications.

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Prototype

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Low Volume

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Volume Production

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Custom Specification

Quality Assurance

Dimensional Inspection

Diameter, thickness, focal length verified per specification

Surface Quality

Scratch-dig inspection under calibrated illumination

Coating Verification

Spectrophotometric measurement of transmission/reflectance

Inspection documentation available according to project requirements. Certificates of Conformance, material test reports, and coating curves can be provided.

You May Also Need

Related Knowledge

Engineering Documentation

The following documentation is available upon request for qualified engineering projects:

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Dimensional Drawing

CAD & dimensional specs per your requirements

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Material Data Sheet

Material properties, transmission curves & certificates

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Coating Performance Curve

Spectrophotometric measurement data

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Inspection Report

Surface quality, flatness, centration & dimensional data

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Certificate of Conformance

CoC with full traceability per project requirements

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Custom Specification Sheet

Application-specific specification documentation

Documentation availability depends on project scope and order quantity. Request details during RFQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials are available for this lens type?

We offer multiple substrate materials including N-BK7, UV Fused Silica, CaF₂, and Sapphire depending on your wavelength and environmental requirements.

Can I order custom specifications?

Yes. PhotonEdge offers custom diameters, focal lengths, coatings, and surface qualities. Custom specifications typically require 4-6 weeks lead time.

What surface quality should I specify?

40-20 is suitable for most laser and imaging applications. 20-10 is recommended for precision systems where scattering must be minimized.

What coating do I need?

The coating depends on your operating wavelength. For visible applications, AR 350-650nm is standard. For NIR lasers, choose the coating matching your wavelength. Uncoated is suitable for non-critical applications.

Do you provide inspection reports?

Yes. Dimensional reports, surface quality verification, and coating performance data are available according to project requirements.

How do I request a quote?

Click the 'Request Engineering Quote' button and provide your diameter, focal length, wavelength, coating, surface quality, and quantity.

What is a cylindrical lens used for?

Focusing or diverging light in one axis only, creating line foci, correcting astigmatism, or shaping beams asymmetrically.

How do I specify the curvature axis?

Indicate the axis direction on your drawing. We mark the axis orientation on the lens edge.

Not Sure Which Specification You Need?

Describe your optical system and our AI Optical Engineer will help identify the right specifications, materials, and coatings for your application.

Analyze My Requirement

Request an Engineering Quote

Provide your requirements and our engineering team will respond within 24 hours with a detailed quotation.

TypeMaterialDiameterFocal LengthWavelengthSurface QualityCurvature AxisCoatings

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