Liquids and Gels Fill Gaps in Tricky Optical Designs

Robert L. Sacher, R.P. Cargille Laboratories Inc.

The physical and optical properties of liquids and gels make them ia naturali for solving problems in optics design applications. They can flow into the most difficult design situations, and optical-quality materials are available for many refractive indices, temperature coefficients, chemical combinations and transmittance factors.
Choosing the right liquid for a given application involves considering how a liquid material's optical and physical properties can work together to solve a specific design problem.