Materion AR-coated witness samples fused silica – LOT OF 4

Product Description

Lot of 4 Rare Materion Precision AR-Coated Fused Silica Witness Samples – US Defense Lab WFOV Telescope Assembly Project

This is a rare opportunity to acquire a set of four precision witness samples fabricated for the U.S. Defense Laboratory Wide Field of View (WFOV) Telescope Assembly. Coated simultaneously with the actual telescope optics (L3 & L4 elements) by Materion Barr Precision Optics & Thin Film Coatings, these 1-inch diameter, 0.5mm thick fused silica disks were used for non-destructive quality assurance and spectral performance verification. The lot includes two distinct coating types, offering a unique insight into advanced dielectric thin-film design.

Included in the Lot:

• 2x High-Transmission “Clear” Samples: Dual-side broadband anti-reflective (AR) coating optimized for >98% transmission in the visible spectrum.

• 2x High-Reflectivity “Mirror” Samples: Dielectric AR coatings engineered for high reflectivity in visible light, optimized for performance in near-IR or broader spectral bands.

Key Specifications:

• Substrate: UV-grade fused silica (SiO₂) – high purity, low thermal expansion

• Dimensions: 1.0″ (25.4 mm) diameter × 0.5 mm thickness

• Coatings: Dual-side multilayer dielectric AR (some with patterned deposition runs)

• Provenance: Co-deposited with L3/L4 telescope optics for a U.S. defense WFOV program

• Condition: Pristine, unused – stored in protective packaging

• Markings: Likely include run numbers, coating IDs, or other traceability codes

Why This Lot Is Exceptional:

• Direct Program Provenance: Authentic artifacts from a classified/high-security defense telescope project.

• Coating Comparison: Includes both high-transmission and high-reflectivity variants, demonstrating thin-film design versatility.

• Quality Assurance Heritage: These witness samples guaranteed the performance of flight-quality optics.

Applications:

• Optical Coating R&D: Reference samples for testing, calibration, or reverse-engineering coating designs.

• Laser & Photonics: Beam sampling, attenuation filters, or reference flats in visible/NIR laser systems.

• Interferometry & Metrology: Stable, coated substrates for wavefront measurement or system alignment.

• Education: Powerful teaching tools for thin-film interference, AR principles, and advanced optics.

• Collecting: Historically significant pieces from a U.S. defense optical program.