TIE-35: Transmittance of optical glass

Optical glasses are optimized to provide excellent transmittance throughout the total visible range from 400 to 800 nm. Usually the transmittance range spreads also into the near UV and IR regions. As a general trend lowest refractive index glasses show high transmittance far down to short wavelengths in the UV. Going to higher index glasses the UV absorption edge moves closer to the visible range. For highest index glass and larger thickness the absorption edge already reaches into the visible range. This UV-edge shift with increasing refractive index is explained by the general theory of absorbing dielectric media. So it may not be overcome in general. However, due to improved melting technology high refractive index glasses are offered nowadays with better blue-violet transmittance than in the past. And for special applications where best transmittance is required SCHOTT offers improved quality grades like for SF57 the grade SF57 HHT.