Chemical polish for baf.sub.2 and caf.sub.2

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and the chemical solutions (a blend of H.sub.2 SO..4 and CH.sub.3 COOH) employed for producing high quality crystal surfaces on CaF.sub.2 and BaF.sub.2 by a chemical polishing cycle that follows a multistage mechanical polishing cycle. The high quality crystal surfaces on CaF.sub.2 and BaF.sub.2, which otherwise are of the quality for field of use, makes these crystals ideally suited for applications as windows for HF/DF laser since the chemically polished crystal surface has fewer irregularities which reduce the amount of surface scattering of the HF/DF radiation, thus allowing a more predictable output. The high quality surfaces achieved from chemical polishing are of particular value in the study of optical absorption of very low loss materials, where the scattered radiation produces heat.