Sapphire glass is the best material for highly sophisticated optical applications that require a wide range of light transmittance. Sapphire glass transmits light over a broad wavelength range spanning from 0.15 to 5 microns from the vacuum ultra violet to the infrared spectrum. It is recognized as a highly important optical material as it combines high transmission with outstanding mechanical-strength properties at both high and low temperatures.

The transmitted wavefront distortion is evaluated by measuring the homogeneity of the refractive index of sapphire. Data shows that the homogeneity for all grades of HEM sapphire glass is in the 0.1 PPM range.

The availability of sapphire glass in large sizes with low scatter has made it ideal for the most stringent optical applications, such as high power laser windows, wafers, miro parts, optics, plasma's and flash lamps. The VUV (vacuum ultra violet) grade of sapphire combines high purity with extremely low defect density; the resulting material transmits light at the 205nm range where standard sapphire material absorbs the light. The VUV grade of sapphire glass is especially resistant to solarization and damage from radiation or high-power-density beams.