
Optical Mirrors
Discover the advantages of custom made optical mirrors
An aspheric mirror is, like the parabolic mirror, a concave mirror. The aspherical shape of the mirror allows an improved geometric-optical imaging.
The group of aspheric mirrors also includes paraboloids, hyperboloids and ellipsoids. These, as well as mirrors with a customer-specific aspherical surface, are among the specialties of asphericons product range. Discover our selection of custom optical mirrors like laser mirrors, aspheric reflectors, telescope parabolic mirrors or beam splitter mirrors.
Depending on the material used, both CNC technologies of grinding and polishing, as well as diamond turning, are used in the production of aspherical on- and off-axis optical mirrors as well as reflectors. The material is selected according to the customers needs, with the range covering almost all types of glass, e.g. fused silica, as well as germanium, silicon, zerodur, infrared glass and calcium fluoride.
Thanks to optimized production technologies, high-end finishing such as asphericon ION-FinishTM and Magnetorheological Finishing-Technology® (MRF) as well as high-precision, full-surface and non-contact measurement asphericon manufactures aspheric and parabolic mirrors of the highest quality.
Depending on the requirements of our customers for aspheric mirrors and aspheric reflectors, accuracies of up to 50 nm global form deviation (irregularity) or 25 nm RMSi are achieved. The achievable roughnesses are, depending on the material and shape, up to 0.5 nm Rq. Learn more about our manufacturing capabilities.
On-Axis Parabolic Mirrors
Mirrors and reflectors with parabolic or customdefined aspheric surface curvatures are one of our specialties. All designs will be delivered in the wellknown asphericon quality.

Off-Axis Parabolic Mirror
Our technology enables the production of off-axis mirrors and reflectors. Depending on geometry and deflection angle, we manufacture according to individual requirements.

Just as diverse as the possibilities for optical mirror coatings are also their fields of application. Besides being used in light sources, they are e.g. used for laser applications and in material processing. What’s more, aspheric mirrors are increasingly being employed in space and astronomy (e.g. reflector telescopes). They are used in the following areas:
- Collimation of a spot light source
- Telescopes (custom telescope mirrors)
- Fiber collimators
- Laser applications (e.g. laser mirror)
- Material processing by lasers
- Lighting
Whether you are looking for components for telescopes or measuring technology, asphericon offers complex solutions and the highest precision from a single source. Starting with optical design and the production of your parabolic mirror, asphericon also produce coated elements, such as dielectric mirrors for single wavelengths, two wavelengths and the entire bandwidth as well as metallic mirror coatings made from aluminum, gold and silver. Learn more about the details of asphericon coating, too.
Specifications parabolic mirror
| Customized Mirrors |
---|---|
Diameter | 1-420 mm |
Diameter Tolerance | +0/-0.3 mm |
RMS irregularities (RMSi) | 25 nm |
Surface imperfections (Scratch/Dig) | 20-10 |
Coating | Customer specific |
Material | Customer specific (almost any kind of glass, fused silica, germanium, silicon, IR lenses, Zerodur) |
Mounting | Customer specific |
Measurement (optional) | Full-surface interferometric |
Delivery time | From 6-8 weeks |
Download Data Sheet |
Individual parabolic mirrors

Ultra-precise optics for a star sensor
Customer Reference
Project Details
On behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), the company Jena-Optronik developed a novel sensor for autonomous attitude and orbit control of satellites and probes in space. With a measurement accuracy of 0.1 arc seconds, ASTRO® XP is ten times more accurate than existing sensors and its innovative optical design also makes it extremely lightweight. In addition to autonomous determination of their position, size, weight and temperature resistance are the most important requirements for modern star sensors. ASTRO® XP consists of an electrical unit and an optical head, for which asphericon was able to manufacture complex mirror optics and a spacer. The use of the sensor on ESA space missions is planned for the late 2020s.
Project Realisation
- Manufacturing of two purely reflecting bi-aspherical mirrors (diameter 77 and 140 mm) with ring-shaped input aperture and a 140 mm wide spacer made of fused silica
- Surface quality of the mirrors: PV < 150 nm
- Material and quality of the components provide excellent imaging properties and allow the sensor to be used at temperature fluctuations of up to 60°C
asphericon GmbH
Stockholmer Str. 9
07747 Jena
phone +49 (0) 3641 3100 500
fax +49 (0) 3641 3100 501
sales[at]asphericon.com