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Custom Laser Optics

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IRD Glass, manufactures custom precision optics and technical glass components to customer-defined specifications. We specialize in complex optical fabrication for laser, medical, aerospace, sensing, imaging, and advanced technology applications. From prototype development through high-volume production, IRD delivers reliable, repeatable performance across demanding OEM programs.

Custom laser optics manufactured by IRD Glass

What we manufacture

Precision laser reflectors manufactured by IRD Glass

Cavity reflectors

IRD manufactures custom cavity reflectors for solid-state laser OEMs operating in high-energy laser systems and precision optical applications. Working from customer drawings, IRD manufactures precision reflector cavities for efficient laser performance, thermal stability, and long-term reliability in demanding environments. IRD manufactures cavity reflectors to exact dimensional and optical specifications to support applications where beam quality, alignment stability, and repeatable laser performance are critical. Our cavity reflectors are used in industrial, medical, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing laser systems worldwide. When high-energy laser systems demand precision optical performance and durability, IRD delivers reflector solutions manufactured to specification.

Sapphire, doped glass, fused silica, and specialty optical materials; surface roughness below 2 Å Ra and flatness better than 1/20 wave at best, arc-second parallelism
Precision laser mirrors manufactured by IRD Glass

High laser damage threshold and high reflectivity mirrors

IRD manufactures high laser damage threshold (HLDT) and high reflectivity (HR) mirrors for OEM laser systems operating in demanding high-power and high-energy environments. IRD manufactures precision mirrors to customer-defined reflectivity, surface quality, coating, and laser-damage requirements. IRD mirrors are engineered for applications where optical consistency, thermal stability, and long-term coating durability are essential. Our HLDT and HR mirrors are used in industrial laser systems, medical lasers, aerospace applications, sensing technologies, and advanced optical instrumentation. When energy density climbs and tolerances tighten, IRD delivers mirrors designed to maintain performance under demanding operating conditions.

Reflectivity greater than 99.9%; laser damage threshold (LDT) exceeding 80 J/cm² @ 1064 nm (1 ms)
Flat optical components manufactured by IRD Glass

Beamsplitters and filters

Transmission and reflection performance coordinated with substrate, angle of incidence, and the rest of the optical train.

Custom laser optics manufactured by IRD Glass

Spacers, tooling, and shields

Precision tooling, fixturing, spacers, masks, wedges, seals, and technical glass components for OEM manufacturing environments, engineered for dimensional stability, wear resistance, chemical and electrical isolation, and repeatable manufacturing performance.

Process capability

Manufacturing limits by process

These are IRD's published capability limits across materials and geometries, not a grade every part ships to. Open the process that controls your critical surface and quote against that one.

Optical faces and performance-critical surfaces, on flat and cylindrical substrates.

Max size
36″ diameter
AttributeTypicalBest case
RoughnessRa < 1 µinRa < 2 Å
Flatness1 wave< 1/20 wave
Parallelism30 arc sec< 2 arc sec
Angles< 5 arc min3 arc sec
Process control

What decides finished optical performance

Substrate selection, fabrication, cleaning, inspection, and packaging all affect finished optical performance. IRD controls each step across the full production run.

  1. The substrate sets the ceiling

    Composition and homogeneity decide what the finished optic can survive before a single abrasive touches it. IRD machines and polishes UV and IR grade fused silica, N-BK7, fused quartz, sapphire, spinel, ZERODUR®, doped glass, and colored filter glass.

  2. 0.3 × abrasive diameter

    Subsurface damage is removed, not polished over

    Staged fixed-abrasive grinding and loose-abrasive lapping, each step sized to remove the micro-cracks left by the one before it. IRD works to the fabrication rule of thumb that subsurface damage runs roughly 0.3× the mean abrasive diameter, so the sequence is planned backwards from the required finish.

  3. Better than 10 Å rms

    The polishing target for high-damage-threshold optics

    Typical polished surface roughness is Ra < 1 µin, with better than 2 Å Ra available at best.

Precision laser mirrors manufactured by IRD Glass
  1. 50 µm bevel

    Edge geometry, decided before cleaning

    Sharp edges on optics can chip during the manufacturing process and may become stress concentrators in temperature-sensitive applications. Proper edge treatment is key to protecting both the component and its performance.

  2. Seven named processes

    Cleaning is specified per component

    Hand cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, cascaded detergent baths, deionized-water rinsing, oven baking, spin drying, proprietary solvent washing, and hydrofluoric acid etching for stress relief. Most high-damage-threshold optics get a cleaning process built for the part.

  3. MIL-PRF-13830B

    Inspection runs in process, not only at the end

    Stereo microscopy, high-intensity light against a dark background, interferometry for roughness and flatness, differential interference contrast microscopy for defect analysis, and high-magnification polarized microscopy for large-area parts.

Capabilities

Capabilities, materials, and coatings

Cavity reflectors

  • Custom solid-state laser cavity reflectors
  • Sapphire, doped glass, fused silica, and specialty optical materials
  • High reflectivity optical coatings for increased power handling
  • Precision polishing and optical finishing
  • Surface roughness below 2 Å Ra at best on qualified materials and geometries
  • Flatness better than 1/20 wave at best on qualified sizes and geometries
  • Parallelism controlled to tight arc-second tolerances
  • Prototype through production manufacturing

High laser damage threshold and high reflectivity mirrors

  • Reflectivity greater than 99.9%
  • Laser damage threshold (LDT) exceeding 80 J/cm² @ 1064 nm (1 ms)
  • Surface roughness below 2 Å Ra at best on qualified materials and geometries
  • Flatness better than 1/20 wave at best on qualified sizes and geometries
  • Precision optical polishing and coating
  • Parallelism held to arc second tolerances
  • High reflectivity and wavelength-specific coating solutions
  • Tight-tolerance dimensional and parallelism control
  • Prototype through full production manufacturing

Materials

  • UV-grade fused silica
  • IR-grade fused silica
  • N-BK7
  • Fused quartz
  • Sapphire
  • Spinel
  • ZERODUR®
  • Doped glass
  • Filter glass
  • Chalcogenides
  • Aluminosilicates
  • High-index glass
  • Schott
  • Corning
  • Ohara
  • Heraeus

Coatings

  • HLDT AR and mirror
  • High reflectivity coatings for increased power handling
  • Wavelength-specific coating solutions
  • Beamsplitters
  • Notch and BBAR
  • Dielectric stacks
  • Metallic, Al, Ag, Au
  • Patterned and ITO conductive

Measured on

  • Zygo GPI interferometer
  • Zygo NewView
  • Zygo Verifire XPZ
  • Nikon 6D interferometer
  • Micro-Vu automated vision system
  • TriOptics Triangle
  • TriOptics PrismMaster
  • Starrett MVR300
  • Zeiss Spectrum
  • Zeiss O-Inspect
  • Tagarno digital microscope
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The answers an applications engineer would give you on the first call.

Start a quote
What do you need in order to quote?

IRD's quoting checklist: application, product type, volume potential and schedule, material, dimensions, surface quality, coatings, assembly, cleaning, and packaging. Attach the drawing. For a new design the technical team runs a no-cost Design for Manufacturability review before quoting, then estimates prototype and production volumes separately.

Does IRD design the optic?

No. IRD manufactures to your print or performance requirement and contributes material, process, and manufacturability input, the optical design stays with your team. When a print calls for tighter tolerances than the application requires, IRD will flag the potential over-specification, since it can add unnecessary cost. Final optical design decisions remain yours.

What surface roughness can IRD hold?

Typical polished surface roughness is Ra < 1 µin, with better than 2 Å Ra available at best. Quote the requirement surface by surface so the team can confirm it against the material, geometry, and inspection method.

How large a part can you make?

Polishing runs to 36″ diameter, machining to 30″ × 16″ × 16″, grinding to 24″ diameter at 6″ height, and lapping to 13.3″ diameter. Larger geometry is quoted against whichever process controls the critical surface.

Which coatings are deposited in-house?

IRD applies basic anti-reflective and metallic coatings in-house for quick turnaround. Other coating requirements are handled through select, vetted coating partners. Name the coating target in the RFQ and the team will confirm the route before quoting.

Can you take ITAR-controlled work?

IRD is registered with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, and controlled programs are manufactured and stored domestically across the Litchfield and Alexandria, Minnesota facilities. Both plants operate under quality systems certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 for ultra-high-precision glass, optical, and ceramic components.

How is the finished optic protected in transit?

Packaging is tailored to the part and can include multi-layer foam, custom corrugated packaging, gel packs for sensitive optics, and military-grade cases. Components are supported on edges or non-critical surfaces outside the clear aperture and held against shifting in transit.

Resources

Technical documents

Use these IRD references when reviewing custom laser optics requirements.

White paper

What Laser Users Should Know About Fabrication of High Damage Threshold Optics

Legacy technical paper. Company-profile details may be outdated; use current site pages for IRD facts. IRD's account of what moves damage threshold, substrate composition and homogeneity, subsurface damage, residual stress, polishing and cleaning residue, contamination, and the coating/substrate pair, plus the slotted-mirror case study in full.

PDFWebinar

Writing an RFQ That Delivers the Right Product at the Right Price

IRD's applications team on the information that makes a quote accurate the first time, and the omissions that cause a requote.

Recording
Precision laser reflectors manufactured by IRD Glass
Start with the print

Send us your custom laser optics requirement

IRD's quoting checklist: application, product type, volume potential and schedule, material, dimensions, surface quality, coatings, assembly, cleaning, and packaging. For a new design, the technical team runs a no-cost Design for Manufacturability review before quoting, then estimates prototype and production volumes separately.

Start a quoteRequest a no-cost DFM review
Final capability is quoted to the drawing. Achievable tolerance depends on material, feature size, geometry, coating, and production volume. Or call 320.693.7217 to discuss the print with an applications engineer.