Our N-BK7 precision plano-convex cylindrical lenses are designed to meet the demanding requirements of laser electro-optic applications. They are manufactured from fine annealed optical glass and are polished to tight tolerances to ensure minimum wavefront distortion. Tight 40-20 scratch-dig surface quality tolerances minimize scatter and unwanted diffraction effects, making these lenses especially well suited for sensitive laser applications, including laser scanning, diode laser beam shaping. Additional applications include focusing light into a thin line for optical metrology or collecting light in spectroscopy systems. They can also be used to expand the output of a laser diode into a symmetrical beam.

In a typical laser diode (a P-i-N diode), electrical current flows vertically between contacts on top of and below the semiconductor material substrate. Charge carrier combination and the resulting light emission occurs in the intrinsic region between the doped electrodes. A horizontal optical cavity is formed by cleaving the substrate and polishing the side faces. Fresnel surface reflections at these faces create optical feedback resulting in a lasing effect. Light emitted from a rectangular aperture typically takes on an elliptical beam profile with angle θ1 and θ2 along the major and minor axes. Two cylindrical lenses with focal lengths f2/f1 = θ1/θ2, each positioned their focal length away from the laser diode, may be used to produce a circular collimated beam output.

Our CYM-2R Adjustable Cylindrical Lens Mount can hold and position cylindrical optics as large as 2-in in height. What makes this mount unique is its ability to rotate a cylindrical optic about its center. This feature eliminates unwanted translation during rotation of the power axis.