An efficient ellipsoidal reflector, coated with AlSiO for the NUV or enhanced Rhodium for MUV and DUV systems, collects up to 70% of the arc lamp output. A 45° primary dichroic mirror spectrally reflects the light after passing through a proprietary design beam homogenizer. The homogenizer, or optical integrator, is similar to a compound fly's eye. It scrambles the arc lamp's non-uniform irradiance to produce many diverging beams. These diverging beams overlap at the collimating lens to produce a highly uniform, collimated beam at the work plane. A robust electronic split-blade shutter system is located after the homogenizer. It consists of a highly accurate and repeatable shutter, and a shutter power supply. It may be opened and closed manually with a switch on the housing side panel or via the 68955 Hand-Held Switch. For automated exposure control, we offer the 68951 Digital Exposure System.

Arc lamps may emit dangerous levels of UV radiation depending on their source type. Ensure that only authorized personnel are in the vicinity of the source, and wearing the necessary safety equipment such as UV protective eyewear, clothing, and gloves. Lighted UV warning signs, posted outside laboratory doors where UV sources are operating, can prevent accidental exposure. Newport also recommends using an electronic shutter to block the beam when the source is not in use but remains turned on. Alternatively, the beam can be safely contained by using beam tubes or fiber optic cables to deliver the light to a sample. It is recommended to vent the ozone that is produced by some lamp models to the outside or use the 66087 Ozone Eater.