Meller Optics

10/07/2026

Germanium is another important material for infrared optics.

Its broad infrared transmission and high refractive index make it useful in thermal imaging, infrared sensing, and other IR applications.

Material selection ultimately comes down to the requirements of the system, including wavelength, environment, transmission, and performance.

09/29/2026

Choosing the right optical material isn't just about transmission.
Temperature, abrasion resistance, chemical exposure, mechanical strength, and coating compatibility all influence performance.
What's the first property you evaluate when selecting an optical material?

Meller Sapphire Hyper-Hemispheric 360 Degree Window

09/24/2026

Optics Minute: Why Sapphire?

Sapphire isn't just known for its hardness.

As an optical material, sapphire combines excellent scratch resistance with high strength, thermal stability, and broad optical transmission.

That combination makes it useful for optical windows and components operating in demanding environments.

At Meller Optics, we fabricate custom sapphire optics for a wide range of applications.

09/23/2026

Our capabilities include sapphire windows, lenses, prisms, and other custom components, along with optics fabricated from materials such as germanium, silicon, ZnSe, spinel, ALON, and Ceralumina. Visit us at Melleroptics.com

Sapphire offers exceptional hardness, durability, and broad optical transmission, while materials like germanium and ZnSe provide important advantages for infrared applications.

From aerospace and defense to industrial, medical, semiconductor, and high-temperature systems, we fabricate optics to meet demanding specifications.

Meller Optics — Precision Optics Fabrication. Made in the USA.

09/16/2026

09/16/2026

Optics Minute: What Does λ/10 Mean?

You may have seen optical specifications listed as λ/10 flatness. But what does that actually mean?

The λ represents the wavelength of light used for the measurement. A λ/10 surface has a maximum deviation from flatness of one-tenth of that wavelength.

In precision optics, surface flatness can directly affect wavefront quality and overall optical performance.

It's a small measurement, but an important one.

09/14/2026

Meller Optics manufactures custom sapphire optics for demanding high-temperature applications, including furnace inspection ports, missile seeker windows, semiconductor processing, and aerospace instrumentation.

Sapphire offers exceptional hardness, chemical resistance, and temperature performance, operating from -200°C to +1,600°C depending on configuration.

From custom shapes and mounting features to A/R coatings, Meller fabricates sapphire optics to meet specific application requirements.

Learn more about our sapphire optics at melleroptics.com.

09/10/2026

Did you know?

Many precision optics require dimensional tolerances measured in thousandths or even millionths of an inch.

09/09/2026

Optics Minute: What Is Scratch-Dig?
If you've ever seen an optical specification like 40-20 scratch-dig, some may have wondered what it means.

Scratch-dig is a standard way of describing the cosmetic quality of an optical surface. The numbers refer to the allowable size of scratches and digs visible during inspection.

While it may sound purely cosmetic, surface quality can matter significantly in precision optical applications where minimizing scatter and maintaining consistent performance are important.

Small details can make a big difference in optics.

09/08/2026

We fabricate high-precision optical components made from sapphire, one of the hardest and most durable materials on earth. We also finish other materials including Spinel, ALON®, ZnS, Ge, Si, optical glass and more. We are known for delivering your optical components on-time and as-specified and look forward to having an opportunity to become your precision optics vendor.

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