IR Dichroic Mirror IR Dichroic Filter

Infrared dichroic mirrors are specialized filters that separate infrared light from visible light. They exploit the difference in wavelengths, reflecting IR while passing visible radiation. These "hot mirrors" are made of ultra-thin film coatings on glass engineered to interfere with and reflect defined IR bands. Dichroic mirrors enable the directing or splitting of infrared beams in laser systems. They are used in microscopes to allow light excitation while reflecting IR emission from fluorescent samples. IR cameras use hot mirrors to filter out visible light. Photographers employ them to divert IR away from sensors. With precise wavelength cut-offs, infrared dichroic mirrors are essential for controlling and manipulating infrared light across many fields.

 

Our infrared dichroic mirrors provide precision control of infrared light for your needs. Using multilayer optical coatings on glass, our hot mirrors reflect defined infrared bands while transmitting visible light. High IR reflectance and sharp cut-on/off wavelengths deliver excellent spectral filtration from 700nm to 20μm. Low loss separation of IR and visual makes them ideal for directing IR lasers, filtering microscope emissions, protecting sensors from IR, and more. Paired with our broad range of visible dichroics and edge filters, we engineer customized infrared dichroics with optimized performance. For advanced IR light manipulation, rely on our dichroic mirrors designed for your specific application requirements.

 

Features

- High reflectivity in IR region (typically > 90%)

- High transmission in the visible region (typically > 90%)

- Sharp transition between reflection and transmission regions

- Used to combine or separate visible and IR light in optical systems

- Common applications include IR cameras, gas sensing, spectroscopy

- Available for various IR wavelength ranges (SWIR, MWIR, LWIR)

- Durable coatings allow use over a wide temperature range

- Angular dependence of reflection/transmission properties

- Compatible with a variety of glass substrate materials

 

Parameters

Product Name	IR Dichroic Mirror
Wavelength Range	900-5000nm
Reflectivity	Typical>90%
Transmittance	Typical>90%
Transition wavelength	800nm
Temperature range	-40 to100℃
Substrate material	BK7, silicon, germanium
Coating material	ZnS, ThF4, Ge

 

Spectrum Transmission Curve

 

Applications

- Infrared cameras - Used to separate visible light from IR radiation for imaging. Allows regular visible cameras to capture IR.

- Gas sensing - Reflects IR wavelengths absorbed by certain gases while transmitting visible light. Enables compact gas sensor systems.

- Spectroscopy - Reflect or transmit specific IR wavelengths for analysis in IR spectrometers.

- Thermal imaging - Reflect IR wavelengths emitted by objects due to their temperature. Enables the creation of thermal images.

- Optical pyrometry - Measure the temperature of objects based on the intensity of reflected IR radiation.

- Laser systems - Combine or separate visible and IR laser beams.

- Surveillance/security - Enable camera systems for enhanced imaging to operate in visible and IR modes.

- Machine vision - Allow cameras to simultaneously capture visible and IR images for specialized industrial/manufacturing applications.

- Meteorology - Transmit visible light but reflect IR to analyze atmospheric conditions.

 

What is a dichroic mirror structure?

A dichroic mirror comprises multiple thin layers of special coatings on a glass substrate. The glass, typically an optical material like BK7, provides mechanical support and a smooth surface for the coatings to be deposited on. The thin film coatings are the key to creating the dichroic effect. They consist of alternating layers of materials with high and low refractive indices, such as zinc sulfide and thorium fluoride. Each layer has a precisely controlled thickness of tens to hundreds of nanometers.

 

These layers are deposited through vacuum processes like thermal evaporation or magnetron sputtering, which allow an optical-quality coating just a few atoms thick to be laid down. Depending on the mirror's design, dozens of these transparent layers are built up to make the full dichroic stack, anywhere from 10 to over 100 layers. The interfaces between the alternating refractive index layers create interference effects that selectively reflect or transmit different wavelengths of light.

 

By tuning the thickness of the layers in the stack, the wavelength bands that are reflected or transmitted can be engineered with great flexibility. The layers have graded thickness profiles rather than discrete steps, allowing transition zones between the reflection and transmission regions. An anti-reflective coating may also be added to the transmitted light side to reduce unwanted visible reflections. The topmost layer is a protective coating that protects the stack against environmental conditions and damage. When manufactured precisely, this multilayer interferometric coating provides the dichroic mirror's ability to selectively reflect infrared light while transmitting visible light in a fragile, durable optical component.

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