Light is so omnipresent and normal in our daily lives that we hardly give the characteristics of light a second thought. But it is worth taking a closer look.
We are still very familiar with the fact that light is electromagnetic waves from our school days. The spectral range visible to the human eye lies in the spectrum between 400nm and 700nm. This means from the short-wave blue range to the long-wave light spectrum, visible to us as red light. However, electromagnetic light waves are also present outside the visible spectrum in a wide variety of wavelength ranges. In physical terms, these spectral ranges are roughly divided into the ultraviolet range (UV), the visible light range (VIS) and the infrared range (IR).
What all ranges have in common: Light from all spectral ranges can be used to transport information and light from all spectral ranges can be used to obtain data and information.
Optics Balzers Jena GmbH, one of five Materion Precision Optics sites worldwide belonging to Materion Inc. has made a name for itself with the development and production of optical filters. Optical filters are used to influence light in the spectral range from UV to far into the IR range for specific applications.
How are these filters produced? A wide variety of materials are deposited on optically transparent substrates by means of thin film coating. This process is also known colloquially as "vapor deposition". In some processes, materials are actually thermally vaporized and deposited on the corresponding substrates.
The thickness of the individual layers is sometimes only a few nanometers. For comparison, a human hair has a thickness of approx. 100µm - i.e. 100 to 1000 times the thickness of the layers produced in this way.
The layer systems are structured in such a way that the incident light is influenced in its propagation by the interaction with the coating materials. Based on the laws of physics, such as diffraction, absorption and reflection, this interaction results in a targeted manipulation of the incident light. Only the part of the spectrum required for the application is transmitted in the finished product. In this way, individual areas that are of interest for the respective application can be "filtered out" from the entire spectrum of light.
However, filtering spectral ranges is not the only possible application. Light can also be influenced in other ways based on the physical principles mentioned above. Light can be split into different polarization directions. While some waves propagate horizontally, other waves only propagate vertically. Each of these waveforms can transport different information. The separation and combination of both waveforms is also made possible by optical filters. It quickly becomes clear how complex the subject of optical filters can be and what a variety of applications can be realized using the coating technology of Optics Balzers Jena GmbH.
Optical filters are used to check the security features on banknotes. Barcode scanners use optical filters to check the combination of barcodes in milliseconds. To avoid errors during scanning, a corresponding filter suppresses the ambient light. This means that the sensor only receives the information that is essential for obtaining information. Measuring systems in biomedicine are equipped with fluorescence filters. These enable the detection of viruses and bacteria. An application that has developed very quickly and intensively, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is now familiar with the term PCR test. This is also based on optical technology.
Mapping and observing the Earth from space would be inconceivable without optical filters. We are proud of the fact that our filters are used in various satellite missions - in some cases after several years of qualification processes. These make it possible to determine data that is used for weather analysis as well as for assessing air quality or soil moisture, for example.
Applications can be found in all areas of daily life. Whether in solutions for autonomous driving, in optical measurement technology or for medical diagnostics. Optical filters are and will become an increasingly important part of modern automation and imaging.
Optics Balzers Jena GmbH can now look back on almost 25 years of company history. What began as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF Jena) has now developed into a globally recognized company. Around 100 employees are now involved in the development and production of optical solutions at the Jena site. The unbroken demand for optical solutions is impressively reflected in the company's growth.
We would like to present our solutions and capabilities to you on the occasion of the "Long Night of Science" and cordially invite you to visit us at our site.
