NEBULAR^®

Nano-Structured Anti-Reflective Surfaces for High-Power Laser Applications

High Laser-Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT)

When Nebular^® Technology, exclusively available from Edmund Optics^®, experiences laser-induced damage it does not propagate and effectively “melts” the nanostructures back into the bulk material.

When thin-film anti-reflective (AR) coatings experience laser-induced damage, the damage can propagate and cause system failure.

When thin-film anti-reflective (AR) coatings experience laser-induced damage, the damage can propagate and cause system failure.

On the other hand, when Nebular^® Technology, exclusively available from Edmund Optics^®, experiences laser-induced damage it does not propagate and effectively “melts” the nanostructures back into the bulk material.

High Broadband Transmission

When designed properly, these nano-structured surfaces minimize both reflectivity and scatter, allowing for maximum throughput over a broader wavelength range than thin-film V-coats.

Comparison to Typical Thin-Film Coatings

When LIDT is a concern, surfaces with Nebular^® Technology are typically more advantageous than thin-film AR coatings.

	Uncoated Fused Silica	Thin Film AR V-Coat	Thin Film AR Broadband	Nebular^® Technology
Reflectivity	POOR	BEST	BETTER	BEST
Scatter	BEST	BEST	BEST	BETTER
Transmission	POOR	BEST	BETTER	BEST
LIDT	BEST	BETTER	GOOD	BEST
UV Durability	BETTER	GOOD	GOOD	BETTER
Mechanical Durability	BEST	BETTER	BETTER	POOR

Handling Surfaces with Nebular^® Technology

The structures have high laser durability but low mechanical durability, making them difficult to clean
Optics with Nebular^® Technology should be kept in clean environments and ionized air is recommended for removing any contamination
Contact us to discuss specific situations and appropriate handling methods

How Are Optics with Nebular^® Technology Made?

Subwavelength surface structures are etched into surfaces by an inductively-coupled plasma. Each parameter in the manufacturing process is finely controlled; the surfaces can be modeled using rigorous coupled wave analysis, resulting in highly-repeatable and predictable surface specifications.

Traditional circularly symmetric, round lenses are self-centered by circular spacers and retaining rings in conventional optical assemblies, simplifying assembly and alignment

Subwavelength surface structures are etched into surfaces by an inductively-coupled plasma.

Resources

Webinar

Nano-Structured Anti-Reflective Surfaces

Published Article

Antireflective Surfaces via Subwavelength Etching

Talk to our experts about how to improve your laser systems with Nebular^® Technology!

NEBULAR®