The antireflective properties of silica sol-gel coatings have been known for some time, and such coatings have bene used to reduce losses in the optical elements of high- powered lasers used in fusion experiments. Research at DAO has developed the technology to the pont where optical elements in three 4-meter class telescopes at CFHT, KPNO, and CTIO have benefitted from coatings made form high- efficiency sol-gel films. The process is attractive because it is simple to apply, is inexpensive, and is as effective as multi-layer vacuum-deposited coatings which it can replace. A description is given of the basic chemistry involved and the techniques used to apply the coatings. Techniques used to improve the durability of the films by hardening and waterproofing are described, as well as a two- layer coating in combination with magnesium fluoride.

Date Published: 16 August 2000
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 4008, Optical and IR Telescope Instrumentation and Detectors, (16 August 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.395454

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4008:
Optical and IR Telescope Instrumentation and Detectors
Masanori Iye; Alan F. M. Moorwood, Editor(s)