Product Description
Rare US Defense Research Laboratory Custom Aspheric Lens from WFOV Telescope Assembly – Space-Qualified Optic with Lasercom Heritage
Elevate your optical collection or project with this exceptional, one-of-a-kind aspheric biconvex lens. Originally fabricated by Barr Associates (now Materion Precision Optics) for a US Defense Laboratory’s advanced Wide Field-of-View (WFOV) Telescope Assembly, this certified component was procured for cutting-edge R&D in space surveillance and laser communication systems. With a pedigree tied to projects like the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) —which pioneered high-data-rate optical links from the Moon—this lens represents a tangible piece of space exploration history, now available as surplus for discerning buyers in astronomy, photonics, or high-tech prototyping .
Key Specifications and Uniqueness
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Overall Diameter | 110 mm |
| Clear Aperture | 100 mm (for maximum light gathering) |
| Edge Thickness | 3 mm |
| Center Thickness | ~17 mm |
| Design | Asymmetric biconvex profile with aspheric surfaces for superior aberration correction |
| Sagitta | Stronger ~9 mm on one side, ~5 mm on the other |
| Estimated Focal Length | ~242 mm |
| Material | High-purity fused silica (synthetic quartz, refractive index ~1.46 at 589 nm) |
| Coating | Multi-layer dielectric anti-reflective (AR) on both surfaces (custom-run HC7 hard coat) |
| Wavelength Range | 400–1600 nm (<0.5% reflectivity per surface, >98% throughput) |
| Optical Performance | Diffraction-limited imaging, λ/10 wavefront quality or better |
Material & Coating Advantages
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High-Purity Fused Silica: Provides exceptional broadband transmission (>99% in UV/visible/NIR) and ultra-low thermal expansion, making it ideal for space environments with extreme temperature swings and radiation exposure .
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Multi-Layer Dielectric AR Coatings: Custom-run HC7 hard coat ensures durability in harsh environments. Achieves <0.5% reflectivity per surface across 400–1600 nm for >98% throughput.
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Laser Damage Resistance: The hard coat, paired with fused silica’s high laser damage threshold, ensures resilience against thermal cycling, vibration, vacuum, and high-fluence beams—far surpassing consumer-grade optics and justifying its use in NASA-level demonstrations .
Optical Performance
Engineered for diffraction-limited imaging in WFOV setups (5–15°+ fields), this aspheric lens corrects coma, spherical aberration, and distortion without bulky additional elements. As “L2” in the assembly, it served as a critical relay or corrector lens, enabling compact, high-magnification telescopes (e.g., 47x in LLCD analogs) while maintaining excellent wavefront quality.
Applications & Versatility
Space & Defense Prototyping:
Ideal for replicating lasercom terminals, satellite tracking, or beam expanders—mimic Defense Research Lab’s setups for free-space optical links at >100 Gbps data rates, as demonstrated in LLCD and follow-ons like CLICK or TBIRD . Fused silica’s radiation resistance and thermal stability make it perfect for R&D in optical inter-satellite links (OISL) or ground-to-space demos under extreme conditions.
Astronomy & Imaging:
Build custom WFOV refractors or correctors for wide-sky surveys, asteroid tracking, or deep-space observation—enhance amateur setups with pro-grade aspheric precision for sharper, flatter fields than off-the-shelf lenses.
Photonics & Lab Use:
Integrate into fiber-optic systems, laser collimators, or machine vision prototypes; its aspheric design excels in high-resolution imaging over extended FOVs, suitable for robotics, remote sensing, or AR/VR optics.
Collectible Value:
With only a handful produced, this lens is rarer than typical surplus—direct from a federally funded lab advancing U.S. space tech. Comparable space-flown optics fetch premiums at auctions; this ground/test unit offers accessible entry into that world.
Condition
EXCELLENT CONDITION
PROFESSIONALLY REMOVED FROM R&D SETUP
OPTICS: CLEAN, NO VISIBLE COATING DAMAGE, SCRATCHES, OR HAZE (inspected)
NO MOUNTING HARDWARE OR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION INCLUDED
PICTURE MAY NOT MATCH PRODUCT



