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Perkins Precision Developments (PPD) is pleased to announce that we now offer custom crystal quartz waveplates with low loss AR coatings for use in the visible and near-infrared.

PPD uses laser-grade crystal quartz to produce multiple-order, low-order and compound zero- order waveplates with retardations of quarter-wave, half-wave or anything in-between. Compound zero-order waveplates and multi-element waveplate assemblies utilize in-house IBS coatings and epoxy-free bonding technology to create precise, thermally stable components suitable for high power applications with energy densities exceeding 20 J/cm2 !

Says Jay Perkins, owner and CEO: “Expanding our polarizer product line to include waveplates is something that we’ve wanted to do for some time. Developing the polishing techniques, adhesive-free assembly and metrology processes required is an achievement that our whole team should be proud of. Our customers indicated a need for ITAR compliant precision waveplates and waveplate assemblies, and we believe these components will exceed their expectations.

Perkins Precision Developments (PPD), provider of custom optics and optical coatings, today announced that they are expanding its facilities in Longmont, Colorado. This will increase PPD’s manufacturing footprint by over 6,000 sq ft to almost 13,000 total sq ft, including additional office space and increased production space for new polishing equipment and up to two additional coating chambers.
“We have invested in this expansion in order to accommodate growth in the photonics industry overall and carry out our business plan for 2026 and beyond,” says Jay Perkins, owner and CEO. “The new facilities will be equipped with a state-of-the-art clean room and air filtration system, further improving our coating, assembly and super-polishing capabilities while also doubling our quality control area.”
PPD already has an additional ion-beam-sputtering (IBS) coating chamber on order and expects to complete the full expansion process by summer of 2026.
About Perkins Precision:
Founded in 2009, PPD provides custom HEL optical components, assemblies and thin film coatings for high power laser applications in directed energy, semi-conductor test and inspection, industrial materials processing and quantum research. With comprehensive in-house fabrication capabilities, advanced Ion Beam Sputtered (IBS) coatings, and cutting-edge epoxy-free assembly techniques, PPD delivers innovative solutions engineered for exceptional performance, durability and environmental stability.
For more information visit PPD at www.perkinsprecision.com or contact:
Emily Kubacki
Director of Sales & Marketing
Perkins Precision Developments
Phone: 970-785-2706
E-mail: sales@perkinsprecision.com

During the last year, PPD has worked on tweaking our coating, polishing and cleaning methods to increase the laser damage threshold of all our components.  Repeat data confirms consistent levels for HR coatings, AR coatings and PBS cube assemblies at or above 40J/cm2 at 1064nm!

Please call us for more information or to discuss your specific requirements for laser mirrors, precision polarizers, low absorption optical coatings and epoxy-free optical assemblies.

PPD 2023 Spring News
We have added new equipment and grown our production staff in order to better serve both new and existing customers through increased capacity and reduced lead times.

In addition, we are very excited to announce the deployment of a new company-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system! Over the past 9 months our Manufacturing and Operations teams have been busy working on the deployment of our new system which has been tailored specifically for engineer-to-order (custom) products and services. This system combines our many separate databases into one integrated system to ensure that materials are available when they are needed, inventory levels are optimized and most importantly, that customer satisfaction increases.

We look forward to working with you!

Regards,
Emily Kubacki and the PPD Team

HIGH POWER POLARIZERS 6/12/25
Polarization has many important applications across engineering and science, including Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), laser radar (LADAR) and Quantum Cryptography. With such diverse applications, it is critical to understand polarization and how it affects the project at hand.
Polarization refers to the direction in which the electric field of a light wave oscillates. Since light waves are transverse, the electric field is always oriented perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is traveling—typically referred to as the Z-direction. In the case of plane-polarized or linearly polarized light, the electric field maintains a constant orientation, remaining aligned with either the X- or Y-direction, or at some fixed angle between the two. In contrast, light emited from sources like the sun, a lightbulb, or a candle flame is considered unpolarized, as the direction of polarization in such light varies randomly and continuously over time.
In the fields of Optics and Photonics, polarization direction is defined relative to the plane of incidence where P-polarized light is parallel (P = parallel) to the plane of incidence and S-polarized light (S from senkrecht, the German word for perpendicular) is perpendicular to it (Figure 1). In a typical optical setup, S-polarized light also is referred to as transverse-electric (TE) or vertically polarized because the electric field direction of the wave is perpendicular to the horizontal plane along the direction of propagation.Alternatively, P-polarized light often is called transverse- magnetic (TM) or horizontally polarized because the electric field direction of the wave is in the horizontal plane along the direction of propagation.
To convert unpolarized light into a polarized form, op􀆟cal systems make use of polarizers, which function by selectively absorbing, reflecting, or refracting certain polarization components, depending on the level of polarization required. Polarizers and polarizing beamspliters come in many forms, such as calcite crystal prisms and wire grid designs. However, not all types are suitable for high energy applications like Directed Energy and Aerospace.

 

We are very pleased to announce that Emmett Randel and Kipp Bauchert have accepted the positions of Senior Thin Films Coating Engineer and Production Control Engineer respectively.

Mr. Randel has nearly completed his PhD in Physics at Colorado State University, specializing in the growth of and characterization of residual stress in ion beam sputtered coatings. He will oversee coating design and production here at Perkins Precision Developments, and will be a strong asset to the Coating department moving forward. We are excited to have him!

Mr. Bauchert joins us with over 30 years experience and a proven track record of success in the Optics & Photonics industry.  With a technical background in engineering, physics and chemistry and extensive experience in project management and systems engineering, we believe that Kipp will be invaluable in meeting our goals and objectives company-wide. 

We hope you join us in welcoming them both to our team!

Regards,
Emily Kubacki and the PPD Team

Ph: 970-785-2706
sales@perkinsprecision.com
www.perkinsprecision.com

As you may already know, Perkins Precision Developments (PPD) provides custom fabrication services using advanced optical manufacturing techniques and state-of-the-art equipment. Our low overhead structure and production flexibility are designed to maximize both quality and value to you, the end user.

Thanks to recently expanded staff and capabilities, PPD now offers both coated and uncoated optics, as well as IBS coatings on customer supplied optics. Typical coatings include V-coat AR, dual-AR, HR, BBHR, dichroic, beam splitter, and plate polarizer designs.

Please call or send us your requests for critical one-off and prototype components as well as volume OEM requirements.

  • High Energy Laser Mirrors
  • Precision Prisms & Wedges
  • Spherical & Cylindrical Lenses
  • Plate Polarizers & Beamsplitters
  • Parallel Windows & Filters
  • High LDT, Low-loss Coatings

In order to benefit our existing and potential new customers, Perkins Precision Developments (PPD) has recently completed extensive upgrades to our IBS coating equipment. We are currently in the process of optimizing both uniformity and damage threshold for all of our coating material options. These improvements were undertaken in order to reduce coating lead time while also increasing both the predictability and reliability of our coating designs, thus increasing value to you, the end user.

PPD understands that you need parts delivered on time and in-spec, not just the first time but every time. We also recognize the importance of quality customer service. PPD views all of our customers as partners and will collaborate with you to develop the custom optics and coatings that you need, while best meeting the budget and lead time that you want.

Please call or send us your requests for critical one-off and prototype components as well as volume OEM requirements.

  • Laser Mirrors
  • Precision Lenses
  • Plate Polarizers
  • Beam Splitters
  • Optical Filters
  • Custom IBS Coatings
  •  

Welcome to Perkins Precision Developments’ first e-news update of 2024.

In addition to beefing up our Cyber Security measures to better meet the new standards, we have added new equipment in both Metrology and Manufacturing. These new machines increase our capabilities and will allow us to better serve both new and existing customers through added capacity and reduced lead times. 

We invite you to reach out and let us know what projects you are planning, or already working on, that we can help you see through to completion. Please call or email us with questions, or to discuss your specific requirements for laser mirrors, precision polarizers, low absorption optical coatings and epoxy-free optical assemblies. 

Wishing you a glorious Spring!

Regards,
Emily Kubacki and the PPD Team

Ph: 970-785-2706
sales@perkinsprecision.com

Custom Laser Optics for Directed Energy Applications
(Fully manufactured in Longmont, Colorado)
 
Perkins Precision Developments (PPD) provides HEL components, epoxy-free optical assemblies and
precision thin film coatings that are specifically designed for High Power Laser Applications,
Space-qualified Satellite Systems and Industrial Materials Processing. Available high-LDT products include Polarizing Beam Splitter Cubes, Dielectric Laser Mirrors and Thin Film Plate Polarizers.
 
With comprehensive in-house optical fabrication capabilities, super-polished substrates,
advanced Ion Beam Sputtered (IBS) coatings, and state-of-the-art assembly techniques, PPD delivers innovative solutions engineered for exceptional durability, thermal and environmental stability, and to meet the stringent performance demands of directed energy systems.
 
PPD is an ITAR registered corporate member of SPIE, OSA, CPIA and DEPS.

 

 

Perkins Precision Developments (PPD) is pleased to announce that we now offer custom crystal quartz waveplates with low loss IBS AR coatings for use in the visible and near-infrared.

PPC uses laser-grade crystal quartz to produce multiple-order, true zero-order and compound zero-order waveplates with retardations of quarter-wave, half-wave or anything in-between. Compound zero-order waveplates and multi-element waveplate assemblies utilize in-house IBS coatings and epoxy-free bonding technology to create precise, thermally stable components suitable for high power applications with energy densities exceeding 20 J/cm2 !

Says Jay Perkins, owner and CEO: “Expanding our polarizer product line to include waveplates is something that we’ve wanted to do for some time. Developing the polishing techniques, adhesive-free assembly and metrology processes required is an achievement that our whole team should be proud of. Our customers indicated a need for ITAR compliant precision waveplates and waveplate assemblies, and we believe these components will exceed their expectations.”

Perkins Precision Developments is committed to providing high-quality, precision-crafted optical components tailored to your needs. By combining our expertise in optical fabrication with an industry-leading IBS coating process, we’ve created a product that maximizes performance while minimizing losses. We invite you to explore how our waveplates can enhance your optical systems and offer you a competitive edge in your field.

PPD’s custom IBS coatings and polarizers are currently available for single and narrow-band laser wavelengths from 375nm to 2000nm. Please call us for more information or to discuss your specific requirements for laser mirrors, precision polarizers, low absorption optical coatings and epoxy-free optical assemblies. 

 

About Perkins Precision:

PPD provides custom laser optics, assemblies and thin film coatings using advanced fabrication techniques and with an emphasis on consistency, quality and customer service. Target applications include semi-conductor test and inspection equipment, high energy laser systems, material processing, quantum research, aerospace and defense.

 

For more information visit PPD at www.perkinsprecision.com or contact:

Emily Kubacki

Director of Sales & Marketing

Perkins Precision Developments

Phone: 970-785-2706

E-mail: sales@perkinsprecision.com

 

Why Choose Perkins?
  • CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Self-Assessed
  • Consistent Quality
  • In-house Manufacturing & Coating
  • Production Flexibility
  • Reliable Customer Service
  • Customer Focused Solutions
  • R & D Projects Welcome
  • ITAR Compliant
  • RoHS compliant
  • OEM Laser Manufacturing
  • Semiconductor Test & Measurement
  • Industrial Materials Processing
  • Space-qualified Satellite Optics
  • Universities/Academia/Research
  • Biomedical Instrumentation
  • Aerospace /Directed Energy
  • Quantum Science
Society of photo- Optical instrumentation Engineers
Society of photo- Optical instrumentation Engineers
Colorado Photonics Industry Association
Optical Society of America
DEPS Corporate Sponsor
DEPS Corporate Sponsor