Air-spaced Etalons - Advantages
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Shorter lead times – hundreds of spacer and plate stock options available ready for assembly
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Superior thermal stability
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Mechanically more robust if free spectral range is large
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Mirrors can be coated simultaneously, resulting in near perfect matching
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Potentially better effective finesse
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Can be pressure or tilt tuned
Air-spaced Etalons - Limitations
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Physically larger
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Less rugged
Solid Etalons - Advantages
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More compact
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Can be temperature tuned
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More rugged, unless free spectral range value is very high
Solid Etalons - Limitations
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Poorer thermal stability
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Practical limit to the thickness
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Potential for mismatch of reflector coatings
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Higher defects potential
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Materials limitations
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