Silver Optical Mirrors
Last Updated: April 1, 2025
Description
Silver optical mirrors are highly reflective surfaces designed to redirect light by reflecting it. These mirrors are coated with a layer of silver, which provides them with their reflective properties. They are used to manipulate light paths in various optical systems.
Working Principle
Silver optical mirrors operate on the principle of reflection, where light rays striking the mirror surface are reflected back. The angle of incidence, where the light hits the mirror, is equal to the angle of reflection. Silver, being a highly reflective metal, ensures that a significant portion of the light is reflected, making these mirrors particularly useful in applications requiring high reflectivity across a broad spectral range.
Applications
Silver optical mirrors are commonly used in optical instruments and devices where high reflectivity is crucial. Specific examples include their use in rearview mirrors and various optical instruments. They are also employed in laser-based satellite communications, where precise light manipulation is essential.
Advantages over other Optical Mirrors
Silver mirrors offer high reflectivity over a broad spectral range, typically between 90-98% in the visible spectrum, which is advantageous compared to other metallic mirrors like aluminum or gold. This makes them suitable for applications requiring broad-spectrum reflectivity. Additionally, silver mirrors are relatively cost-effective due to their simple construction involving a single metal layer with a protective overcoat.
Limitations
One of the primary limitations of silver optical mirrors is their susceptibility to oxidation, which can degrade their reflective properties over time. This necessitates the use of protective coatings to prevent tarnishing. Additionally, silver mirrors may have lower laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) and can experience absorption losses, which might limit their performance in certain high-power or UV applications.
Considerations
When considering silver optical mirrors, it is important to factor in the initial costs of the mirror and its coatings, as well as the operating expenses related to maintenance and replacement. The durability of silver mirrors can be compromised by environmental factors such as humidity, which can lead to oxidation if not properly protected. Regular maintenance and careful handling are required to preserve their reflective quality and accuracy.
from Newport MKS
The 10DC200ER.2 protected silver concave mirror is used for focusing, collecting, and imaging with no chromatic aberration. This mirror can be used to manipulate laser beams or other broadband sources. This family of mirrors are available in three sizes, 12.7, 25.4, and 50.8 mm diameter, with radii... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Focal Length: 100
- Diameter/Width: 25.4
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
Metallic Coatings are very broadband and relatively insensitive to incidence angle. They offer good performance at a low price. Although they are most commonly used, metallic reflective coatings are delicate and require crae during cleaning. They are only recommended for low power applications. The... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Uncoated (optional feature); Protected Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; VIS Enhanced, UV Enhanced
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror; Parabolic Mirror (optional feature)
- Diameter/Width: 5 to 76.2
from Newport MKS
The 10DD20ER.2 is a D-shaped Silver Broadband Mirror with a 25.4 mm (1.0 inch) diameter, a thickness of 6.0 mm, and a flatness of λ/10. The mirror's straight edge allows multiple tightly packed beams or sources to be separated. The 10DD20ER.2has a 40-20 surface quality and an average... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Diameter/Width: 25.4
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Thickness: 6
from Newport MKS
The 13E20ER.2 Broadband Silver Elliptical Mirror is an excellent general purpose, broadband reflectors. This 33.02 mm (1.30 inch) minor axis, 46.70 mm (1.838 inch) major axis, elliptical mirror is made from a 9.37 mm thick Borofloat ® 33 substrate. Borofloat ® 33 has low thermal expansion... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Thickness: 9.4
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Mirror Shape: Elliptical; Elliptical
from Newport MKS
The UBBR1-1S Broadband Hollow Retroreflector is constructed of three front-surface flat mirrors assembled into a corner cube. A stress-free mounting technique is employed to ensure dimensional stability. This geometry results in a reflected beam that is precisely parallel to the incident beam,... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Wavelength Range: 450 to 10000
- Mirror Types: Reflector
- Mirror Shape: Hollow Retroreflector
from Newport MKS
The UBBR2.5-1S Broadband Hollow Retroreflector is constructed of three front-surface flat mirrors assembled into a corner cube. A stress-free mounting technique is employed to ensure dimensional stability. This geometry results in a reflected beam that is precisely parallel to the incident beam,... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Wavelength Range: 450 to 10000
- Mirror Types: Reflector
- Mirror Shape: Hollow Retroreflector
from Newport MKS
The 40D20ER.2 Broadband Silver Mirror is an excellent general purpose, broadband reflector. This 101.6 mm (4.0 inch) diameter mirror is made from a 17.7 mm thick Borofloat ® 33 substrate which is coated with the ER.2 silver coating. Borofloat ® 33 has low thermal expansion and is an... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Diameter/Width: 102
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Thickness: 17.7
from Newport MKS
The 05SD520ER.2 is an Economy Broadband Silver Square Mirror. By taking advantage of advanced polishing techniques and our high-volume manufacturing, these mirrors are truly cost effective. This 12.7 x 12.7 mm (1/2 x 1/2 inch) square mirror is made from a 3.1 mm thick Borofloat ® 33 substrate... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Thickness: 3.1
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Mirror Shape: Rectangular / Square; Square
from Newport MKS
The 07SD520ER.2 is an Economy Broadband Silver Square Mirror. By taking advantage of advanced polishing techniques and our high-volume manufacturing, these mirrors are truly cost effective. This 19.05 x 19.05 mm (3/4 x 3/4 inch) square mirror is made from 4.57 mm thick Borofloat ® 33 substrate... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver; Protected Silver
- Thickness: 4.57
- Wavelength Range: 480 to 20000
- Mirror Shape: Rectangular / Square; Square
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Dielectric (optional feature); Silver
- Wavelength Range: 400 to 1100
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 19 to 25.4
from Qioptiq
Front surface rectangular mirrors. Low expansion material1). Highest reflectance for 450 nm to 12 μm wavelength. Equal reflectance without absorption bandAngle of incidence from 0 ° to 60 °. Resistant against environmental influences. Double dielectric protection layer. Suitable for... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver
- Wavelength Range: 450
- Mirror Types: Laser Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 10 to 63
from MOK Optics Co., Ltd.
MOK Optics have advanced technologies on coating, we can provide Dielectric Coated Mirror, Metal Coated Mirror, Dichroic Mirror etc. Dielectric Coated Mirror e.g. R >99.8%@1064nm, AOI=0°,Ravg >99%@400-700nm , AOI=45°Metal Coated Mirror ( Protected aluminum mirror, Enhanced aluminum mirror,... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Aluminum; Dielectric; Protected Gold; Silver; Dichroic
- Surface Flatness: λ/8
- Surface Quality: 10-5 Scratch / Dig; 20-10 Scratch / Dig; 40-20 Scratch / Dig; 60-40 Scratch / Dig
from Rainbow Research Optics, Inc.
Your One-Stop Source for Laser Optics. Highest Damage Threshold (LDT) Coatings. Laser Quality Substrates. Rainbow Research Optics, Inc. (RROI) specializes in manufacturing standard and custom laser optics for laser systems including CO2, Nd:YAG, and Excimer. RROI can produce high damage thresholds... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Protected Aluminum; Dielectric; Gold; Protected Gold; Silver
- Mirror Shape: Round; Rectangular / Square
- Mirror Types: Laser Mirror
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; Fused Silica; Ultra-violet grade Fused Silica
from Shanghai Optics
A Right Angle Mirror, also known as a turning mirror, is a mirror prism which reflects incident light at 90 °. The hypotenuse of these triangular prisms are coated with an enhanced aluminum, silver, or protected gold coating. These mirrors play a key role in compact optical waveguide devices... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; Optical Crown Glass
from Edmund Optics Inc.
Fused Silica and Zerodur ® Substrates. 1/10 λ Surface Accuracy. Variety of Coating Options Offered. 1/20 λ and 1/4 λ Surface Accuracies Also Offered. TECHSPEC ® 1/10 λ Precision Optical Flat Mirrors are an excellent choice for interferometry, imaging systems,... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver
- Diameter/Width: 254
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Thickness: 38.1
from Abrisa Technologies
This design is very standard and often uses for demanding telescope and other very high performance imaging applications. Reflectance may be specified for IR wavelengths. Metal mirror coatings are often used in systems where a very broadband reflector or beam splitter is needed. Metal coatings can... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver
- Mirror Shape: Rectangular / Square
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
from OptoSigma Corp.
Silver (Ag) coated reflection mirrors have high reflectance in a wide range from visible to infrared wavelength. Since it is coated with a protective layer on the silver, it can be used for a long term without oxidation. — ¦For the wavelength range from the visible to infrared, higher... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver
- Wavelength Range: 400 to 2000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 12.7 to 50.8
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Calcium fluoride has a high transmittance from ultraviolet to mid-infrared (250nm~7um), so it is widely used in the manufacture of prisms, Windows and lenses, In some applications with a wide spectrum range, it can be used directly without coating film, Especially, it has low absorption and high... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 10 to 127
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Thickness: 3
- Diameter/Width: 12.7
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; BK7
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Dielectric; Gold; Silver
- Focal Length: 9.5 to 500
- Mirror Types: Spherical Mirror
- Wavelength Range: 450 to 20000
from Qioptiq
Front surface rectangular mirrors. Low expansion material1). Highest reflectance for 450 nm to 12 μm wavelength. Equal reflectance without absorption band. Angle of incidence from 0 ° to 60 °. Resistant against environmental influences. Double dielectric protection layer. Suitable for... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Silver
- Wavelength Range: 450
- Mirror Types: Laser Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 10 to 60
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Optical dome is a lens with two concentric sphere, They are mainly used for Bathyscaphe, Radiometer, Underwater Robot, Submarine.,Camera Image. In an ideal dome, the convex radius equals the sum of the dome thickness and the concave radius, resulting in a naturally strong shape that becomes harder... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Thickness: 3
- Diameter/Width: 12.7
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; BK7
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Enhanced Aluminum; Silver
- Focal Length: 25 to 400
- Mirror Types: Spherical Mirror
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 20000
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
The high-precision window is made of BK7 optical glass and UV fused quartz, the fused silica quartz window plate is suitable for high power laser that needs good thermal stability, and the window made of N-BK7 material is cheaper, which is suitable for laser applications that pay more attention to... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Thickness: 6
- Diameter/Width: 25.4
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; BK7
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Dielectric; Protected Gold; Silver
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 20000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 12.7 to 25.4
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Optical Mirrors are used for beam turning, interferometry, imaging, or illumination.Using polished glass or metal as the substrate, the light beam hits the surface to form mirror reflection.In order to obtain as much reflected light as possible, the substrate is often coated with a reflective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Thickness: 12
- Diameter/Width: 50.8
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; BK7
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Protected Gold; Silver
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 20000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 7 to 102
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Sapphire are ideal for demanding applications such as laser systems because of their extremely high surface hardness, high thermal conductivity, high dielectric constant and resistance to chemical acids and bases.Because the hardness of sapphire is second only to diamond, and its structural strength... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Thickness: 12
- Diameter/Width: 50.8
- Mirror Materials: BK7 Glass; BK7
from Thorlabs, Inc.
At Thorlabs, we constantly reinforce our desire to serve at the pleasure of our customers. From this comes our desire to be connected to our industry in a way that far exceeds what would typically be expected of a vendor. Thorlabs lives this core principle by seeking to enhance, at every turn, the... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Protected Gold; Silver
- Wavelength Range: 355 to 2250
- Mirror Types: Laser Mirror
- Diameter/Width: 12.7 to 50.8
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Calcium fluoride has a high transmittance from ultraviolet to mid-infrared (250nm~7um), so it is widely used in the manufacture of prisms, Windows and lenses, In some applications with a wide spectrum range, it can be used directly without coating film, Especially, it has low absorption and high... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 1 to 1000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf and custom mirrors available. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness λ/10 and λ/4 options available. Shalom EO ’s N-BK7 Metallic Mirrors consist of N-BK7 substrates and Enhanced Al/Protective Ag /Protective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Optical Mirrors are used for beam turning, interferometry, imaging, or illumination.Using polished glass or metal as the substrate, the light beam hits the surface to form mirror reflection.In order to obtain as much reflected light as possible, the substrate is often coated with a reflective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 0.1000 to 1000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
Features: • Off-the-shelf mirrors available. • Made of Corning UV grade Fused Silica. • Coating options: Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au. • Flatness option: λ/10 and λ/4. Shalom EO ’s UV Fused Silica Metallic Mirrors consist of UV Fused Silica... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum; Protected Gold; Silver; Enhanced Al, Protective Ag and Protective Au
- Surface Flatness: λ/4; λ/10
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Optical Mirrors are used for beam turning, interferometry, imaging, or illumination.Using polished glass or metal as the substrate, the light beam hits the surface to form mirror reflection.In order to obtain as much reflected light as possible, the substrate is often coated with a reflective... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Sapphire Windows are ideal for demanding applications such as laser systems because of their extremely high surface hardness, high thermal conductivity, high dielectric constant and resistance to chemical acids and bases.Because the hardness of sapphire is second only to diamond, and its structural... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 2 to 800
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror; Spherical Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round
from Changchun Sunday Optics Co., Ltd.
Calcium fluoride has a high transmittance from ultraviolet to mid-infrared (250nm~7um), so it is widely used in the manufacture of prisms, Windows and lenses, In some applications with a wide spectrum range, it can be used directly without coating film, Especially, it has low absorption and high... [See More]
- Mirror Coatings: Aluminum; Gold; Silver
- Diameter/Width: 1 to 1000
- Mirror Types: Flat Mirror
- Mirror Shape: Round