Deposition Sciences has introduced a new range of wide angle, broadband anti-reflective (BBAR) coatings, particularly well suited for gimbal windows and sensor detector assemblies on unmanned aircraft systems. The specialised coatings address the needs of unmanned aircraft systems for a highly durable, angle-insensitive, glare-reducing coatings on sapphire substrates. The design is band-selective, such that minimum reflectance can be tuned to a particular detector package, while still minimising visibility (glare) in the photopic spectral sensitivity range of the human eye. The design delivers an average reflectance of approximately two per cent between 400-5000nm.
Consistent with the harsh operating environments of unmanned aircraft, the new wide-angle BBAR coatings are environmentally stable and perform to MIL-C-48497 and MIL-F-48616 standards. Testing is performed on the coated windows according to specifications for humidity, salt-fog, abrasion, temperature cycle, adhesion, solubility, and cleanability. In addition, DSI‘s in-house testing facility ensures that cryogenic and operating temperature measurements can be made between 10-400 Kelvin.