Barium Fluoride

Barium Fluoride is grown by vacuum Stockbarger technique. Unlike CaF2, BaF2 is not found in the native state and all material must be synthesised chemically making BaF2 relatively expensive to produce. Barium Fluoride cleaves easily and is highly susceptible to thermal shock. It polishes well and can be etched (5). The highest purity VUV material can be qualified as fast scintillator grade.

APPLICATIONS: Barium Fluoride is used in spectroscopic components. It is often suitable for applications in the passive IR band (8 to 14μm) and is often used as a view-port window for thermography. For an equivalent thickness the transmission extends approximately 1μm further into the IR than CaF2. The highest quality BaF2 also has application as the fastest known scintillator material and is used in High Energy Physics Experiments.