Prisms

PRODUCTION OF PRECISION PRISMS AND OPTICAL SYSTEMS

Gestione Silo is the ideal partner for fully custom prism solutions

Since our inception, we specialize in manufacturing custom precision prisms and optical systems of various shapes and sizes using a wide range of glass types. We regularly collaborate with both industrial and academic research entities to produce prisms ranging from 4 mm to 400 mm, with angular tolerances up to 5 arcseconds (depending on geometry).

Our prisms are typically used in the fabrication of binoculars, astronomical telescopes, and vision instruments. Depending on their characteristics, they optimize the performance of these tools. Below are some of the most commonly used prisms and prism configurations.

Pentaprism

In our work focusing on the production of precision optical prisms, the pentaprism is a five-sided prism that deflects the beam by 90° and provides image inversion.

Porro Prism

This consists of two prisms glued at a 90° angle. It allows for erect image viewing through four reflections occurring at 45° angles of incidence. Its typical application is in binoculars.

Beamsplitter Cube

A classic beam splitting element, it consists of two right-angle prisms bonded together to form a cube. By applying a partially reflective treatment on the hypotenuse of one prism, it divides the amount of reflected and transmitted light. For more details on the types of coatings available, please refer to our coating catalog.

Dove Prism or Derotator

The Dove prism, characterized by its trapezoidal shape, is typically used to achieve image rotation within terrestrial vision instruments.

Amici Prism or "Roof Prism"

This prism type features two polished surfaces set at a perfect 90° angle and separated by an almost invisible edge, allowing for up to four internal reflections. It finds applications across various fields.

Below are descriptions of other prisms used in the production of precision optical systems.

Babinet Compensator

Enables the realization of all phase differences (including zero) and consists of two quartz wedges in contact with each other.

Soleil Compensator

Allows for a constant phase difference across the entire field of view, also composed of two appropriately faced quartz wedges.

König Prism

An erecting prism used as a valid alternative to the Porro prism when maintaining beam alignment is crucial. It consists of two glued prisms, one of which has a roof for transverse inversion.