Custom Fused Silica & Quartz Prisms

Quartz and fused silica prisms cut and polished to angle, flatness, and surface quality specs an optical system can actually be built around — not just a cut block.

Angle tolerance, flatness, and surface quality aren't independent — the polishing route that hits a tight angle tolerance also constrains achievable flatness on the same face. Specify all three together, especially for prism types where angle accuracy is the main function (dispersing or beam-deviating prisms).

Angle, Surface and Edge Requirements

Angle tolerance is the number that most defines a prism's optical performance — even a well-polished face is off-spec if the angle between faces is wrong. Surface quality (scratch-dig) and flatness are specified per face, since not every face of a prism needs the same finish; only faces in the optical path need the tightest numbers. Edge chamfer is standard to prevent chipping and doesn't affect adjacent optical faces if sized correctly.

Fused Silica / Quartz Prisms Factory Standard & Manufacturing Limit

The table above is what's repeatable without added lead time. The tightest angle tolerance and the tightest surface quality aren't both available at the largest size at once — confirm which matters more for your application, and at what size, before we commit to a schedule.

Quartz Prism Types and Geometries

Right-angle, equilateral, Dove, and other standard prism geometries are all made the same way — cut close to shape, then ground and polished face by face to final angle and flatness. Custom or compound geometries (cemented assemblies, non-standard angle combinations) are available; send a drawing with all angles and faces called out, since a prism defined by only some of its angles leaves the rest ambiguous.

Before shipment we check angles, dimensions, flatness, surface condition, edge/chamfer, and clear aperture.