SUPRESS STRAY LIGHT, ABSORB LASER POWER, CREATE HIGH EMMISSIVITY Alexander Telle CEO ACM Coatings GmbH – subsidiary of Acktar Ltd. WHY & WHEN to think about scattered light WHY Enhancing signal-to-noiseIncreasing sensitivityImproving image quality & contrastReducing complexity WHEN As early as possible in the development process of new photonic instruments and systemsBut it is never to…

About Light and Color Visible light is a category of electromagnetic waves that we are capable of seeing. When light hits an object, some of it is absorbed, and some of it is reflected. The color of the object is the portion of the light that is reflected from it. A “black” object is an object…

What Is The Meaning of a Black Body?  A black body, also written as blackbody, is a theoretical construct describing an object that absorbs all electromagnetic radiation falling onto it, leaving all wavelengths of light to be absorbed as well. In turn, no light is reflected. Without reflected light, the object will appear black, hence the…

What is Anodizing?  Before we can begin to answer the question “what is black anodizing?” we must understand what anodizing itself is.  Anodizing is the electrochemical process in which a metal surface is coated with a water-resistant oxide layer. Anodizing can be performed on a range of metals, such as magnesium and titanium, but is best…

Black Oxide Coating - Definition and Process Black oxide is a material used for coating materials such as stainless steel, copper, and zinc, which are all considered ferrous materials. This coating is unique because it will give you the same results as other finishes, but it is cheaper to do and has distinctive advantages. Black oxide is…

  What is Short-Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) and Electromagnetic Spectrum? Did you know we can only 0.0035% of the world around us?  The Electromagnetic Spectrum comprises of radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays. Scientists and physicists identified and developed ways to see and utilize the waves we don't see with our…

Autonomous vehicles are expected to result in fewer road casualties and more efficient traffic. But driver assistance systems also protect lives. For a safe function of the optical sensors– the basis of autonomous driving-, the stray light must be certainly suppressed as far as possible. With a lane departure warning system, it is theoretically possible to…

Infrared radiation characterized by wavelengths ranging from 0.700 – 1050μm is no exception. Absorption and reflection of IR radiation on a specific surface can be altered with the help of coating. This article describes applications and characteristics of IR absorber coating in optical systems and a few other industries. A clear comparison has been made among…

We have always been fascinated by how engineering systems handle all sorts of critical environmental challenges. Whether it is NASA dealing with high temperatures (up to 1000 °C) caused due to friction between a space vehicle surface and atmosphere at a hypervelocity, or challenges in achieving accuracy of spectrometer, telescope or microscope, it is essential to…