Edmund Optics, the provider of optical components, has introduced Plano-Concave (PCV) Axicons.
These specialised conical prisms feature one concave conical surface and one plano surface. They are used in laser material processing to create a ring-shaped image along the optical axis, as well as to create a non-diffractive approximation of a Bessel beam. As opposed to Gaussian beams, which deteriorate over distance, Bessel beams maintain an unchanged transversal distribution as they propagate.
When Plano-Concave (PCV) Axicons are used with Plano-Convex (PCX) Axicons, the diameter of the Bessel beam can be controlled by the separation between the two Axicons. This feature is ideal for ablating corneal material in surgical procedures. PCV Axicons are excellent for measurement and alignment, research, as well as medical and life science applications that require a ring shaped laser output.
PCV Axicons are available in twelve different 25.4 mm diameter models. Apex angles of 90°, 130°, 140°, 160°, 170° and 175° are offered with either a VIS 0° coating or a NIR I coating.