Knight Optical supplies high-performance optical components for underwater imaging and subsea equipment. Find out more >>
Supporting manufacturers of UUVs, ROVs, and AUVs, the company provides optical elements used in cameras, sensors, and other critical subsea technologies. Products are designed to function under high-pressure conditions and are available in standard or custom formats.
Knight Optical’s portfolio includes optics that operate across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths. The company offers components from its catalog or tailored to customer specifications, tested in-house to ensure they meet required performance criteria.
Dome Windows for Underwater Cameras & Instruments
Knight Optical provides optical domes with two parallel curved surfaces, forming a naturally pressure-resistant structure for use in subsea imaging and meteorological systems.
Available materials include:
- BK7 – suitable for visible-range imaging
- UV fused silica – compatible with UVC applications
- Sapphire – highly durable for use in harsh environments
- Acrylic – for general subsea imaging needs
These domes are used in underwater cameras, ROV and AUV systems, as well as pyranometers and pyrgeometers. Diameters range from 5mm to over 200mm, with options for anti-reflection (AR) coatings, mounting flanges, and substrate selection based on spectral or mechanical requirements.
Flat Optical Windows for Sealing Subsea Enclosures
Knight Optical supplies flat optical windows manufactured from BK7 and equivalent materials, used for sealing optical housings in subsea systems.
Key options include:
- Uncoated and AR-coated windows
- BBAR coatings optimized for 450–900nm and 1050–1700nm
- Highly parallel faces and controlled flatness
- Custom sizes in round or rectangular formats
- Mounting configurations and flatter-grade options
Specialized Windows for Demanding Subsea Conditions
Knight Optical offers windows manufactured from specialty materials for additional environmental protection:
- Gorilla® Glass – chemically strengthened, thin, and scratch-resistant, often used as protective cover glass in visible-range systems.
- Sapphire – resistant to extreme temperatures, chemical exposure, and radiation; performs across UV to 5µm spectrum.
Sapphire windows are available in c-cut for low birefringence or random-cut, with custom shapes and sizes available.
Lenses for Subsea Imaging & Sensing Systems
Knight Optical supplies a range of lenses suitable for underwater imaging and light manipulation tasks.
Available lens types include:
- Aspheric lenses
- Biconvex and planoconvex lenses
- Achromatic doublets
- Cylindrical and rod lenses
- Fresnel and condenser lenses
- UV and IR lenses
Materials and formats are selected to meet the needs of imaging systems operating under water across various wavelengths.
Custom Optical Components Built to Specification
Knight Optical provides custom-manufactured optical components, either by modifying catalog parts or producing unique designs.
Custom options include:
- BK7, UV fused silica, sapphire materials.
- Application of coatings: AR, beamsplitter, and mirror.
- Specification of shapes, sizes, and other optical/mechanical properties.
All underwater optical components are verified by in-house metrology and QA, with optional First Article Inspection (FAI) reports available upon request.
Visit the Knight Optical supplier profile or contact the company directly for more information.
