Chalcogenide Lenses - Shanghai Optics Shanghai Optics

Chalcogenide Lenses for Infrared Applications

Shanghai Optics’ chalcogenide lenses are engineered for high-performance infrared optics, offering excellent transmission across a broad spectral range—from 0.5 µm to 25 µm. These advanced materials are ideal for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) applications, including thermal imaging, spectroscopy, and sensing.

Why Choose Chalcogenide Lenses?

Chalcogenide glasses—made from Group 16 elements such as sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te)—exhibit unique properties that make them a superior alternative to traditional IR materials like germanium (Ge) and zinc selenide (ZnSe).

Key Advantages:

Broad Infrared Transmission: Supports both 3–5 µm and 8–12 µm bands, ideal for a wide range of IR applications.
High Refractive Index: Enables compact optical systems, critical for space-limited environments such as handheld or airborne devices.
Low Dispersion and dN/dT: Ensures stable optical performance across temperature changes, making it suitable for athermalized lens designs.
High Nonlinearity: Suitable for advanced photonic and nonlinear optical systems.
Excellent Machinability: Easily shaped into both spherical and aspheric lenses, supporting customized optical designs.

Compared to germanium, chalcogenide lenses offer higher production efficiency, greater design flexibility, and reduced reliance on scarce resources, making them a cost-effective and sustainable solution for modern IR systems.

A Practical Alternative to Germanium

In response to recent germanium export restrictions, many optical system designers are turning to chalcogenide glass as a reliable substitute. Chalcogenides not only match germanium’s transmission in the MWIR and LWIR bands but also outperform it in terms of thermal stability and material availability.

Their moldable, amorphous structure allows for custom shaping, and their consistent refractive index over temperature shifts makes them ideal for precision optics and athermalized systems. Whether in infrared lasers, thermal cameras, or night vision systems, chalcogenide lenses enable high-quality imaging and system performance at a lower cost.

Applications

Infrared Imaging Systems
Thermal and Environmental Sensing
Laser and Photonic Circuits
Materials Analysis and Scientific Research
Infrared Optical Systems in Defense and Aerospace

Chalcogenide materials also play a growing role in optical windows, IR fibers, and memory devices thanks to their distinctive optical and electrical properties.

Custom Solutions Available

We offer both spherical and aspheric chalcogenide lenses tailored to your specific requirements. Whether you need high-volume production or low-quantity prototyping, Shanghai Optics delivers reliable, high-quality solutions for demanding infrared applications.

Explore our chalcogenide optics today and enhance your IR system’s performance and resilience.