Knight Optical manufactures high-quality dome windows designed for demanding environments, including subsea systems, meteorological instruments, and optical platforms. Available in both custom and stock formats, the domes combine optical transmission with durability, making them suitable for defense, research, and industrial applications.
Dome Windows.
A dome is a hemispherical optical dome in which the two surfaces are an equal thickness apart. This shape provides natural strength under pressure, making domes ideal for viewport applications such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), underwater cameras, and other submersible equipment. Beyond subsea use, dome windows are also widely applied in pyranometers for solar radiation measurement, pyrgeometers for infrared detection, and as high-pressure viewports.
Knight Optical supplies domes manufactured from a variety of materials, selected according to working wavelength and environmental conditions. N-BK7 glass, UV-grade fused silica (Spectrosil), and sapphire are the most commonly used. N-BK7 offers high transmission from 300 nm to 2 µm, with hardness and chemical resistance that make it effective for visible applications. UV fused silica transmits down to 185 nm and is well suited for operating wavelengths below 400 nm, making it particularly effective for ultraviolet and UVC sterilization systems. Sapphire transmits across both the visible and infrared spectrum and, due to its exceptional hardness, is often specified for the most challenging environments.
Stock domes in N-BK7 and UV fused silica are available for immediate supply, particularly for meteorological instruments such as pyranometers and pyrgeometers. For specialized requirements, custom domes can be produced in sizes ranging from 5 mm to over 300 mm in diameter. Thicknesses, tolerances, and strength variation can be specified according to project needs.
Options include anti-reflective coatings to enhance transmission, alternative coatings on request, and domes supplied with or without flanges to support installation. In situations where sapphire is not required, certain materials can be toughened to increase durability under pressure.
All domes produced by Knight Optical undergo testing in the company’s metrology laboratory to ensure compliance with specification. Each component is subsequently inspected by the quality assurance team to verify surface quality before dispatch.
