LightPath Technologies CEO Sam Rubin joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce the commercial release of the company's newest BlackDiamond-NRL infrared glass, BDNL-4. This material represents a significant advancement and is a crucial component of the chalcogenide glass series licensed from the US Naval Research Laboratories (NRL), serving as a substitute for Germanium. Rubin explained to Proactive that BDNL-4 possesses a negative thermo-optic coefficient, a critical characteristic for creating athermalized systems.
This feature enables the design of devices that remain unaffected by temperature changes. Furthermore, BDNL-4 is a genuine multi-spectral material suitable for use across short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging bands. LightPath offers antireflective and protective DLC coatings for all its Chalcogenide materials, including BDNL-4. After years of development at NRL, BDNL-4 is exclusively licensed to LightPath. The company anticipates that BDNL-4 could become a pivotal material for thermal cameras used in drones and other systems requiring operation across a wide range of temperatures. This launch is particularly significant in light of export restrictions imposed on Germanium and Gallium by China, underscoring the strategic importance of BDNL-4 as a viable alternative.