Optical Surface and Grating Replication

Replication is a proprietary process of transferring a precision optical surface on a substrate of less value, yet keeping the integral optical quality of the original. Replication, initially developed to make copies of interferometrically ruled gratings, is now extensively used to copy various optical surfaces.

OPCO's unique preparatory process has successfully replicated a variety of optical surfaces on various metals and optical substrates. Optical designs are always optimized by incorporating aspheric reflection optics in the system, never-the-less, their usage had been conservative because of the cost of producing such optics, especially when high performance tolerances come into play. Through OPCO's replication process, designing with high performance aspherics is no longer cost prohibitive. OPCO Laboratory produces replication of Toroidal, Off-Axis and On-Axis parabolic mirrors at 1/3 to 1/5 the cost of a mirror produced by classical fabrication methods. Optical surface accuracy of Lambda/10 and surface quality of 20-10 are easily achieved.

Advantages	Suitable Surfaces	Industries
Reproduction in Accuracy and Surface Quality Cost-effective Light-weight Environmental Resistant High volume capacity	Toroidal Diffraction Grating Aspheric Spherical Parabolic Flat Choppers	Commercial Medical Aerospace Defense Motion Picture

Replicated Toroidal Mirrors
We offer replicated toroidal mirrors for use in optical bench designs, including Czerny Turner designed monochromators. Replicated toroidal mirrors offer a significant advantage over spherical concave mirrors by correcting astigmatism and increasing energy throughput, especially where array detection is employed. Replicated toroidal mirrors are half the cost of conventional toroidal mirrors and inherently have greater repeatability in surface accuracy, surface quality, and radii.