Ball and Drum Lenses

Ball lenses in their full sphere form have a long tradition of manufacture and use. However, from the parent ball lens, it is possible to derive other child lens types that can have an even more widespread use. If one side of the sphere is flattened and polished, we can obtain general plano-convex, half ball or aplanatic lenses depending on lens thickness. Additionally, by reducing the equatorial diameter of the sphere, we can obtain a drum version as well. We use a single code generator for any of these lens types that offers the choice of the following parameters:

To generate the code for your product, use the code generator below. Once created, copy the code in an email and send it at sales@doriclenses.com to request a quote.
The feasibility of the selected configuration is to be confirmed by the Sales department.

ORDERING CODE: BAL_Glass_D_d_t_S1(λ₁-λ₂)_S2(λ₁-λ₂)

Glass - Optical material,

D - Parent ball diameter in mm,

d - Drum diameter (<=D) in mm,

t - Optical thickness (<=D) in mm,

S1(λ₁-λ₂) - Coating and wavelength range specification on surface 1,

S2(λ₁-λ₂) - Coating and wavelength range specification on surface 2,

S1 and S2 are reserved for the lens coating specification code. The most common examples are provided in Preferred Coating Table. AR means Anti-reflective coating. Unless otherwise specified, R<0.5% across usable numerical aperture of the lens and within appropriate spectral range.
 
The Effective focal length (EFL) and Working distance (WD) of these lenses are dependent on the selected wavelength, glass material, parent ball diameter, central thickness and can be easily calculated. 

For the full ball EFL= n x D / 4 x (n-1) and WD = EFL x (2-n) / n

where n is the index of refraction of the selected glass and wavelength.

The thickness of the hemispherical lens is D/2.
The thickness of the aplanatic lens derived from a ball is D/2+D/2n.

CUSTOM CODE GENERATOR

Glass (see table):
Ball diameter - D (mm):
Drum diameter - d (mm):
Thickness - t (mm):
S1 coating (see table):
S2 coating (see table):
ORDERING CODE:
BAL_Glass_D_d_t_S1(λ1-λ2)_S2(λ1-λ2)
Generate

Preferred Ball Diameters (mm)
0.25	2.50	7.00
0.50	3.00	8.00
1.00	3.50	9.00
1.25	4.00	10.00
1.50	5.00
2.00	6.00

Preferred Glasses
N-BK7
FS (Fused Silica)
UV-FS (UV Fused Silica)
N-LASF9
Sapphire
Silicon
S-TIH53

Coating Examples (λ1 - λ2 (nm))
AR(750-1100)	AR(980)
NC = No coating