Flexible measurement platforms for research

The Aquila Instruments nkd-series is a range of instruments specifically designed to overcome the problems usually encountered when measuring the optical performance of thin-film coatings on transparent and semi-absorbing substrates. The nkd series of spectrophotometers measure total transmittance and total reflectance in a precisely defined experimental geometry with known polarisation. This is used to powerful advantage by the integrated analysis software which can determine the thickness, complex refractive index and absorption coefficient of a coating from the comprehensive measured data.

For optical thin films there are three important material parameters which need to be known: refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k), both as a function of wavelength, and the thickness (d). These three parameters determine completely how a thin film responds to incident light. They are important parameters for designers and manufacturers of coatings but users of coated optics will also be concerned with the end result: the actual transmittance and/or reflectance of a coated sample. The nkd instruments satisfy both requirements. Non-destructive measurement of complex samples such as absorbing dielectrics, metallic, birefringent and multilayer films is possible on all substrate types from transparent glasses to polymers, semiconductors and metals.

See our application notes for more information.