As explained in the presentation of UV photography, not all lenses can be used with UV transmitting bandpass filters because of anti-UV coating applied on their elements. UV-capable lenses can be divided into 3 categories:

The calculation above assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now consider hotspots in the beam or other non-uniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum power density. For reference, a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum power density that is twice that of the uniform beam (see lower right).

This adjustment factor results in LIDT values of 0.45 J/cm2 for the BB1-E01 broadband mirror and 1.6 J/cm2 for the Nd:YAG laser line mirror, which are to be compared with the 0.7 J/cm2 maximum energy density of the beam. While the broadband mirror would likely be damaged by the laser, the more specialized laser line mirror is appropriate for use with this system.

LIDT in linear power density vs. pulse length and spot size. For long pulses to CW, linear power density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

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While this rule of thumb provides a general trend, it is not a quantitative analysis of LIDT vs wavelength. In CW applications, for instance, damage scales more strongly with absorption in the coating and substrate, which does not necessarily scale well with wavelength. While the above procedure provides a good rule of thumb for LIDT values, please contact Tech Support if your wavelength is different from the specified LIDT wavelength. If your power density is less than the adjusted LIDT of the optic, then the optic should work for your application.

Pulses shorter than 10-9 s cannot be compared to our specified LIDT values with much reliability. In this ultra-short-pulse regime various mechanics, such as multiphoton-avalanche ionization, take over as the predominate damage mechanism [2]. In contrast, pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s may cause damage to an optic either because of dielectric breakdown or thermal effects. This means that both CW and pulsed damage thresholds must be compared to the laser beam to determine whether the optic is suitable for your application.

This scaling gives adjusted LIDT values of 0.08 J/cm2 for the reflective filter and 14 J/cm2 for the absorptive filter. In this case, the absorptive filter is the best choice in order to avoid optical damage.

Now compare the maximum energy density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately [3]. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has an inverse square root relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 1 J/cm2 at 1064 nm scales to 0.7 J/cm2 at 532 nm):

Flange focus distance on the Nikon EL-Nikkor is 90mm for the original version. The newer one (105mm f/5.6N) has a flange focus distance of 100mm. The new model isn’t as good for UV photography.

Beam diameter is also important to know when comparing damage thresholds. While the LIDT, when expressed in units of J/cm², scales independently of spot size; large beam sizes are more likely to illuminate a larger number of defects which can lead to greater variances in the LIDT [4]. For data presented here, a <1 mm beam size was used to measure the LIDT. For beams sizes greater than 5 mm, the LIDT (J/cm2) will not scale independently of beam diameter due to the larger size beam exposing more defects.

These 3 categories have one similar point: they are all cheap. Indeed, each UV-capable lens tested in this article will not cost more than 150$, with a mean price of 70-80$. As a comparison, professional dedicated UV lenses made of quartz have the following prices:

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. Contact Tech Support for more information.

When handling optics, one should always wear gloves. This is especially true when working with zinc selenide, as it is a hazardous material. For your safety, please follow all proper precautions, including wearing gloves when handling these lenses and thoroughly washing your hands afterward. Due to the low hardness of ZnSe, additional care should be taken to not damage these lenses. Click here to download a pdf of the MSDS for ZnSe.

[1] R. M. Wood, Optics and Laser Tech. 29, 517 (1998).[2] Roger M. Wood, Laser-Induced Damage of Optical Materials (Institute of Physics Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 2003).[3] C. W. Carr et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 127402 (2003).[4] N. Bloembergen, Appl. Opt. 12, 661 (1973).

In order to illustrate the process of determining whether a given laser system will damage an optic, a number of example calculations of laser induced damage threshold are given below. For assistance with performing similar calculations, we provide a spreadsheet calculator that can be downloaded by clicking the button to the right. To use the calculator, enter the specified LIDT value of the optic under consideration and the relevant parameters of your laser system in the green boxes. The spreadsheet will then calculate a linear power density for CW and pulsed systems, as well as an energy density value for pulsed systems. These values are used to calculate adjusted, scaled LIDT values for the optics based on accepted scaling laws. This calculator assumes a Gaussian beam profile, so a correction factor must be introduced for other beam shapes (uniform, etc.). The LIDT scaling laws are determined from empirical relationships; their accuracy is not guaranteed. Remember that absorption by optics or coatings can significantly reduce LIDT in some spectral regions. These LIDT values are not valid for ultrashort pulses less than one nanosecond in duration.

The goal here is to show the maximum level of UV signal coming on the sensor with the configuration given below. Here are the results:

In this part, all the lenses have been used for outdoor and indoor shootings with the UV transmitting bandpass filter of Kolari. Now than the theoretical performance has been tested, it is time to evaluate the concrete performance of each lens in term of exposure, contrast and sharpness for UV photography.

The 45mm flange distance of M42, plus 35mm from the helicoid gives a minimum flange focus distance of 80mm. We we get infinity focus about 10mm off the stop, plus about 45mm focus throw. Reproduction ratio is about 0.4x.

Here, the Optomax and the Soligor have really close performance, while the Nikon has a lower capacity to transmit UV light.

In this part, an UV torchlight with an inside 365nm Nichia LED is placed in front of a full-spectrum camera. Then a picture for UV photography is taken with each lens tested to show the UV light transmission through it. The parameters are not changing between each shot:

Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different Pulse DurationsSuppose that a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system is frequency tripled to produce a 10 Hz output, consisting of 2 ns output pulses at 355 nm, each with 1 J of energy, in a Gaussian beam with a 1.9 cm beam diameter (1/e2). The average energy density of each pulse is found by dividing the pulse energy by the beam area:

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Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different WavelengthsSuppose that a pulsed laser system emits 10 ns pulses at 2.5 Hz, each with 100 mJ of energy at 1064 nm in a 16 mm diameter beam (1/e2) that must be attenuated with a neutral density filter. For a Gaussian output, these specifications result in a maximum energy density of 0.1 J/cm2. The damage threshold of an NDUV10A Ø25 mm, OD 1.0, reflective neutral density filter is 0.05 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 355 nm, while the damage threshold of the similar NE10A absorptive filter is 10 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 532 nm. As described on the previous tab, the LIDT value of an optic scales with the square root of the wavelength in the nanosecond pulse regime:

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The energy density of your beam should be calculated in terms of J/cm2. The graph to the right shows why expressing the LIDT as an energy density provides the best metric for short pulse sources. In this regime, the LIDT given as an energy density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size. This calculation assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now adjust this energy density to account for hotspots or other nonuniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum energy density. For reference a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum energy density that is twice that of the 1/e2 beam.

The energy density of the beam can be compared to the LIDT values of 1 J/cm2 and 3.5 J/cm2 for a BB1-E01 broadband dielectric mirror and an NB1-K08 Nd:YAG laser line mirror, respectively. Both of these LIDT values, while measured at 355 nm, were determined with a 10 ns pulsed laser at 10 Hz. Therefore, an adjustment must be applied for the shorter pulse duration of the system under consideration. As described on the previous tab, LIDT values in the nanosecond pulse regime scale with the square root of the laser pulse duration:

The following is a general overview of how laser induced damage thresholds are measured and how the values may be utilized in determining the appropriateness of an optic for a given application. When choosing optics, it is important to understand the Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of the optics being used. The LIDT for an optic greatly depends on the type of laser you are using. Continuous wave (CW) lasers typically cause damage from thermal effects (absorption either in the coating or in the substrate). Pulsed lasers, on the other hand, often strip electrons from the lattice structure of an optic before causing thermal damage. Note that the guideline presented here assumes room temperature operation and optics in new condition (i.e., within scratch-dig spec, surface free of contamination, etc.). Because dust or other particles on the surface of an optic can cause damage at lower thresholds, we recommend keeping surfaces clean and free of debris. For more information on cleaning optics, please see our Optics Cleaning tutorial.

Figure 1. These figures illustrate the performance gains that can be achieved by using multi-element imaging systems. The combination of an f = 100 mm N-BK7 meniscus lens and an f = 100 mm N-BK7 plano-convex lens yields a 21 µm focused spot versus a 240 µm spot at 588 nm from the single N-BK7 plano-convex lens. For a ZnSe plano-convex / meniscus pair with f = 100 mm, a 60 µm focused spot is typically achievable.

Hence, 35mm lenses are more usable for landscape photography as they require shutting down the aperture to obtain a good sharpness.

The adjusted LIDT value of 350 W/cm x (1319 nm / 1550 nm) = 298 W/cm is significantly higher than the calculated maximum linear power density of the laser system, so it would be safe to use this doublet lens for this application.

The pulse length must now be compensated for. The longer the pulse duration, the more energy the optic can handle. For pulse widths between 1 - 100 ns, an approximation is as follows:

According to the test, the damage threshold of the mirror was 2.00 J/cm2 (532 nm, 10 ns pulse, 10 Hz, Ø0.803 mm). Please keep in mind that these tests are performed on clean optics, as dirt and contamination can significantly lower the damage threshold of a component. While the test results are only representative of one coating run, Thorlabs specifies damage threshold values that account for coating variances.

Positive meniscus (convex-concave) lenses, which are thicker in the middle than at the edges and cause light rays to converge, are designed to minimize third-order spherical aberration. When used to focus a collimated beam, the convex side of the lens should face the source to minimze spherical aberration. They are often used in conjunction with other lenses to decrease the focal length, and therefore increase the numerical aperture (NA), of an optical assembly. Since a positive meniscus lens has a greater radius of curvature on the concave side of the lens than on the convex side, real images can be formed.

Now compare the maximum power density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has a linear relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 10 W/cm at 1310 nm scales to 5 W/cm at 655 nm):

Contrary to 35mm lenses, here all 50mm lenses are really close in term of contrast and shooting parameters. These results relativize the previous theoretical comparison as the Yongnuo 50mm lens is offering the same performances than the two Nikon 50mm lenses. The Steinheil 50mm keeps offering the best transmission to reach a much detailed portrait.

For the outdoor test, a cloudy day in the end of winter was chosen. The UV rate was the lower possible, allowing to use the UV transmitting bandpass filter of Kolari in the worst UV condition. This test shows that even without hard sunlight, UV portrait is still possible. Moreover, it informs about the worst adjustments you would have to do to shoot in UV. This way, you are assured to make better adjustments than those of this test.

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Extra-thick retaining rings offer several features that aid in mounting high-curvature optics such as aspheric lenses, short-focal-length plano-convex lenses, and condenser lenses. As shown in the animation to the right, the guide flange of the spanner wrench will collide with the surface of high-curvature lenses when using a standard retaining ring, potentially scratching the optic. This contact also creates a gap between the spanner wrench and retaining ring, preventing the ring from tightening correctly. Extra-thick retaining rings provide the necessary clearance for the spanner wrench to secure the lens without coming into contact with the optic surface.

The specifications to the right are measured data for Thorlabs' E3-coated ZnSe lenses. Damage threshold specifications are constant for all Thorlabs' E3-coated ZnSe lenses, regardless of the size or focal length of the lens.

Best Form DesignDue to the high refractive index of ZnSe, the spherical best form design for a ZnSe lens is the positive meniscus design. Therefore, these lenses induce small aberrations, spot sizes, and wavefront errors comparable to best form lenses constructed of other materials. See the graphs tab for a comparison of the aberrations induced by different lens shapes.

For each lens tested, the sensibility was fixed at 1600iso and the aperture was adjusted to obtain the same exposure and the best sharpness for a shutter speed faster than 1/6s. This limitation is the maximum shutter speed allowing neat static portrait using a tripod.

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When pulse lengths are between 1 ns and 1 µs, laser-induced damage can occur either because of absorption or a dielectric breakdown (therefore, a user must check both CW and pulsed LIDT). Absorption is either due to an intrinsic property of the optic or due to surface irregularities; thus LIDT values are only valid for optics meeting or exceeding the surface quality specifications given by a manufacturer. While many optics can handle high power CW lasers, cemented (e.g., achromatic doublets) or highly absorptive (e.g., ND filters) optics tend to have lower CW damage thresholds. These lower thresholds are due to absorption or scattering in the cement or metal coating.

This indoor comparison confirms that all 50mm lenses offer close results and are all usable with studio strobes. While the Steinheil 50mm is still the best 50mm lens.

Thorlabs expresses LIDT for CW lasers as a linear power density measured in W/cm. In this regime, the LIDT given as a linear power density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size, as demonstrated by the graph to the right. Average linear power density can be calculated using the equation below.

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Pulsed lasers with high pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) may behave similarly to CW beams. Unfortunately, this is highly dependent on factors such as absorption and thermal diffusivity, so there is no reliable method for determining when a high PRF laser will damage an optic due to thermal effects. For beams with a high PRF both the average and peak powers must be compared to the equivalent CW power. Additionally, for highly transparent materials, there is little to no drop in the LIDT with increasing PRF.

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. The damage analysis will be carried out on a similar optic (customer's optic will not be damaged). Testing may result in additional costs or lead times. Contact Tech Support for more information.

LIDT in energy density vs. pulse length and spot size. For short pulses, energy density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

Here the Steinheil 50mm F/2.8 appears to have the best performances. Both Nikon D and E have close results with a small advantage for the D version. Finally, the Yongnuo 50mm F/1.8 has the worst theoretical performances.

Positive meniscus lenses are designed to minimize spherical aberration. They have one convex and one concave surface. When used in combination with another lens, a positive meniscus lens will shorten the focal length and increase the NA of the system. Doing so greatly reduces the transverse and lateral aberrations. In such a configuration, the convex surface of both lenses should be facing away from the image. As an example, Figure 1c shows a meniscus lens being used to shorten the focal length of a 100 mm focal length plano-convex lens at 588 nm.

Pulsed Microsecond Laser ExampleConsider a laser system that produces 1 µs pulses, each containing 150 µJ of energy at a repetition rate of 50 kHz, resulting in a relatively high duty cycle of 5%. This system falls somewhere between the regimes of CW and pulsed laser induced damage, and could potentially damage an optic by mechanisms associated with either regime. As a result, both CW and pulsed LIDT values must be compared to the properties of the laser system to ensure safe operation.

I use a K&F concepts E to M42 adapter with the Fotasy 35-90mm helicoid. The M42 adapter is one with a standard M42 45mm flange distance, and not one of the ultra-thin filters that just adapts the physical mount.

When an optic is damaged by a continuous wave (CW) laser, it is usually due to the melting of the surface as a result of absorbing the laser's energy or damage to the optical coating (antireflection) [1]. Pulsed lasers with pulse lengths longer than 1 µs can be treated as CW lasers for LIDT discussions.

An AC127-030-C achromatic doublet lens has a specified CW LIDT of 350 W/cm, as tested at 1550 nm. CW damage threshold values typically scale directly with the wavelength of the laser source, so this yields an adjusted LIDT value:

What helicoid adapter did you use for the Nikon EL 105mm? I just picked one up as well as one of your UV Bandpass filters and I’m having trouble figuring out what adapter I need.

Thorlabs' Ø1/2" and Ø1" Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) positive meniscus lenses are available with a broadband AR coating optimized for the 7 µm to 12 μm spectral range deposited on both surfaces. This coating greatly reduces the high surface reflectivity of the substrate, yielding an average transmission in excess of 97% over the entire AR coating range. See the Graphs tab for detailed information. ZnSe lenses are particularly well suited for use with high-power CO2 lasers.

Enlarging lenses offer an impressive sharpness for close portraits, despite their rarity and the requirement of a focusing helicoid adapter.

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The soligor has become rather difficult to find in good shape, at least, as of 6/21/22. The one or two I did find seem to be fetching a much higher price tag than 40$ now.

To sum up, 50mm is the easiest focal lens to use: it is easy to find an UV capable lens for each camera brand. As a result, when adding a macro extension tube, these 50mm lenses are capable of easily shooting macro photography.

As previously stated, pulsed lasers typically induce a different type of damage to the optic than CW lasers. Pulsed lasers often do not heat the optic enough to damage it; instead, pulsed lasers produce strong electric fields capable of inducing dielectric breakdown in the material. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to compare the LIDT specification of an optic to your laser. There are multiple regimes in which a pulsed laser can damage an optic and this is based on the laser's pulse length. The highlighted columns in the table below outline the relevant pulse lengths for our specified LIDT values.

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If this relatively long-pulse laser emits a Gaussian 12.7 mm diameter beam (1/e2) at 980 nm, then the resulting output has a linear power density of 5.9 W/cm and an energy density of 1.2 x 10-4 J/cm2 per pulse. This can be compared to the LIDT values for a WPQ10E-980 polymer zero-order quarter-wave plate, which are 5 W/cm for CW radiation at 810 nm and 5 J/cm2 for a 10 ns pulse at 810 nm. As before, the CW LIDT of the optic scales linearly with the laser wavelength, resulting in an adjusted CW value of 6 W/cm at 980 nm. On the other hand, the pulsed LIDT scales with the square root of the laser wavelength and the square root of the pulse duration, resulting in an adjusted value of 55 J/cm2 for a 1 µs pulse at 980 nm. The pulsed LIDT of the optic is significantly greater than the energy density of the laser pulse, so individual pulses will not damage the wave plate. However, the large average linear power density of the laser system may cause thermal damage to the optic, much like a high-power CW beam.

Thorlabs' retaining rings are used to secure unmounted optics within lens tubes or optic mounts. These rings are secured in position using a compatible spanner wrench. For flat or low-curvature optics, standard retaining rings manufactured from anodized aluminum are available from Ø5 mm to Ø4". For high-curvature optics, extra-thick retaining rings are available in Ø1/2", Ø1", and Ø2" sizes.

Thorlabs' LIDT testing is done in compliance with ISO/DIS 11254 and ISO 21254 specifications.First, a low-power/energy beam is directed to the optic under test. The optic is exposed in 10 locations to this laser beam for 30 seconds (CW) or for a number of pulses (pulse repetition frequency specified). After exposure, the optic is examined by a microscope (~100X magnification) for any visible damage. The number of locations that are damaged at a particular power/energy level is recorded. Next, the power/energy is either increased or decreased and the optic is exposed at 10 new locations. This process is repeated until damage is observed. The damage threshold is then assigned to be the highest power/energy that the optic can withstand without causing damage. A histogram such as that below represents the testing of one BB1-E02 mirror.

As described above, the maximum energy density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the average energy density. So, the maximum energy density of this beam is ~0.7 J/cm2.

CW Laser ExampleSuppose that a CW laser system at 1319 nm produces a 0.5 W Gaussian beam that has a 1/e2 diameter of 10 mm. A naive calculation of the average linear power density of this beam would yield a value of 0.5 W/cm, given by the total power divided by the beam diameter:

The indoor test was realized in a studio using professional Broncolor strobes. Contrary to the outdoor test, here the setup is fixed to show the difference of exposure of each lens.

Use this formula to calculate the Adjusted LIDT for an optic based on your pulse length. If your maximum energy density is less than this adjusted LIDT maximum energy density, then the optic should be suitable for your application. Keep in mind that this calculation is only used for pulses between 10-9 s and 10-7 s. For pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s, the CW LIDT must also be checked before deeming the optic appropriate for your application.

However, the maximum power density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the maximum power density of a uniform beam, as shown in the graph to the right. Therefore, a more accurate determination of the maximum linear power density of the system is 1 W/cm.

Thorlabs will accept all ZnSe lenses back for proper disposal. Please contact Tech Support to make arrangements for this service.

The best shot at 35mm is given by the Soligor, which allows the best contrast in the center and the best sharpness. A large amount of vignetting is due to the wide aperture required by the low UV rate.

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