Industry leader in fibre optics and photonic technologies Corning Incorporated announced at the end of October the introduction of a 1-mm gradient index (GRIN) lens that enables a significant reductio…
Industry leader in fibre optics and photonic technologies Corning Incorporated announced at the end of October the introduction of a 1-mm gradient index (GRIN) lens that enables a significant reduction in the size of optical component packaging. This new addition to the Corning(R) QuantumFocus(TM) GRIN lens product line allows customers to conceptualize and design miniaturized products with superior performance and design flexibility, while also providing the full benefit of Corning“s long history of materials science expertise. This silver-based QuantumFocus 1mm GRIN lens is considerably smaller than the typical 1.8 mm GRIN lens available today, and has excellent performance characteristics including low dispersion, insertion loss of less than 0.2dB and return loss of greater than 60dB. The beam diameter at 1/e2 is 240 microns, optimal for increasing manufacturing yields and improving thermal and aging reliability. The length is 3.23mm and the gradient index constant is 0.49 mm-1. These lenses are utilized by manufacturers of small switches, mux/demuxes, isolators, MEMS-based devices and other passive optical components. In addition, customers are finding GRIN lenses useful in military and defense, automotive and medical applications. QuantumFocus 1mm GRIN lenses are now available in .24 and .25 pitch sizes. This lens is the latest addition to Corning“s robust line of microlenses that covers working distances of 10(mu)m to 100mm and mode-field diameters of 3(mu)m to 420(mu)m. Photonic Materials also manufactures and supplies QuantumFocus 1.8mm GRIN lens (available in .23 and .25 pitch), OptiFocus(TM) Lensed Fibers, Polarcor(TM) polarizing glass, Polymer GRIPPER(TM), and various arrayed devices.