lasfilters

Lasfilters are a class of optical filters designed for use with laser systems to selectively transmit light within a narrow spectral band while rejecting nearby wavelengths. The term, a contraction of laser filters, is used in optics, spectroscopy, and laser engineering to describe components placed in laser delivery or detection paths to shape spectral content and improve signal quality.

Most lasfilters are based on dielectric thin-film interference stacks or Bragg reflectors that create sharp transmission peaks with high out-of-band blocking. Tunable variants use mechanisms such as liquid crystal polarization rotation (LCTF), acousto-optic deflection (AOTF), or micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to adjust the passband in real time. Fixed, or static, lasfilters provide a chosen central wavelength and bandwidth.

Key specifications include central wavelength, bandwidth or full width at half maximum, peak transmission, out-of-band rejection (often expressed as optical density or OD), temperature stability, and damage threshold for high-power laser light.

They are employed in spectroscopy to isolate emission lines, in fluorescence and Raman microscopy to separate excitation and emission, in lidar and optical sensing, and in laser-based manufacturing to control spectral content and suppress stray lines.

When selecting lasfilters, engineers consider polarization sensitivity, angular dependence, insertion loss, and the spectral drift with temperature and aging. Care is taken to ensure the filter can withstand the laser power and maintain stable performance over the system lifetime.

In vendor catalogs and academic literature, lasfilters may be described as narrowband laser filters, line filters, or tunable laser filters, reflecting their role in managing laser spectral content.