Patent ID: 6927899

Claim:
An optical element that provides good transmission of radiation in a short-wavelength infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum having wavelengths sufficiently short that minimal diffraction effects occur when the radiation encounters an aperture of 100 microns, the optical element comprising a solid matrix in which is distributed a plurality of solid particles, the material of the matrix being selected so as to have a relatively low absorption of radiation in the short-wavelength infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the material of the particles being selected to have a relatively high transmissivity of radiation in the short-wavelength infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and both materials being selected so as to have approximately the same index of refraction for radiation in the short-wavelength infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the particles being distributed sufficiently densely in the matrix to provide the optical element with a desired high transmissivity in the short-wavelength infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with a sufficient amount of the matrix material to provide a desired degree of physical strength, the optical element comprising the matrix/particle composite being formed to provide surfaces having the contours that are required to provide the desired optical properties.