PPC has recently added standard 1064 nm retardation plates to our product inventory. In addition to 1” diameter half-wave and quarter-wave retardation plates, PPC also stocks 100mm diameter compound zero order waveplate wafers. These large retarders can be sold as-is, core-drilled or diced to almost any size or shape in just a day or two, and they are already coated with our high energy, low loss ion beam sputtered (IBS) anti-reflection coatings.

PPC also manufactures custom multiple order, true zero order and compound zero order crystal quartz and sapphire waveplates in sizes from 1 mm to > 2" for research, semiconductor, biomedical and aerospace applications. Call or email us your special requirements today.

PPC recently held an open house reception and tour of our facility following the conference events at the SPIE Laser Damage Symposium 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. We were joined by dozens of attendees and authors from the annual event on high energy lasers and thin film coatings for walking tours, an open question and answer session with our senior engineering staff and refreshments.

PPC frequently hosts formal and informal customer visits as part of our dedication to open, continuous communication channels. Please contact us next time you are planning on being in the Rocky Mountain region so we can discuss scheduling your personal presentation and tour.

IBS Coatings for the MWIR

Recent R&D efforts by PPC for a NAVAIR Phase 1 SBIR address coating requirements for the inside of a missile dome. This includes robust, broadband anti-reflection (BBAR) coatings for the 3-5 μm spectral range along with extremely high temperature operation and survivability. PPC’s IBS technique, a method proven to be more robust than magnetron sputtering, solves the challenging variable-thickness requirement by using shadow masking to control coating uniformity. Coupled with a sophisticated 3-D model, we can deterministically predict the proper mask shape. Recent results have demonstrated proper spectral transmission (coating thickness profile) for the dome, and operational survivability to 1000º C.

Shown here are results from a typical 3-5 micron BBAR coating on sapphire. Both graphs are corrected for side 2 reflection.

Other examples of MWIR IBS coatings done at PPC include narrowband AR coatings at 3.4μm and short-wave pass dichroic mirrors with high reflectance at 3.1μm and high transmittance at 1.5μm.

PPC Receives Northrop Grumman’s Prestigious Gold Supplier Award

Precision Photonics (PPC) is proud to announce that it has received the Gold Supplier Award from Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems for meeting their exemplary performance standards. The awards recognize companies for achieving distinction in product quality, on-time delivery, customer satisfaction and robust, lean processes. Lisa Kohl, vice president of NGC Global Supply Chain, said that the companies honored at this year’s Suppliers Day event represent “the best of the best”.

“We are very proud to be recognized for supporting Northrop Grumman and its efforts on the Joint High Power Solid State Laser,” said Nick Traggis, VP of Photonics for PPC. “We take great pride in our ability to meet the industry-leading specifications for the thin film coatings and precision optical fabrication required by this program.” PPC applies state-of-the-art measurements with innovative processes to achieve tolerances down to one-nanometer precisions, highly robust and repeatable epoxy-free optical bonding, and durable and dense ion-beam-sputtered dielectric coatings.

The tribute from Northrop Grumman Corporation is the second received this year by Precision Photonics. PPC was also recently named a 2009 Colorado Companies to Watch (COCTW) award winner, presented by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.