Cleaning Information
General Cleaning Procedure
154
Agilent
8169A
Polarization Controller, Second Edition
How to clean optical devices which are sensitive to mechanical stress
and pressure
Some optical devices, such as the Agilent 81000BR Reference Reflector,
which has a gold plated surface, are very sensitive to mechanical stress or
pressure. Do not use cotton swabs, soft tissues or other mechanical
cleaning tools, as these can scratch or destroy the surface.
Preferred Procedure
Use the following procedure on most occasions.
1
Blow away any dust or dirt with compressed air.
Procedure for Stubborn Dirt
To clean devices that are extremely sensitive to mechanical stress or
pressure you can also use an optical clean polymer film. This procedure is
time-consuming, but you avoid scratching or destroying the surface.
1
Put the film on the surface and wait at least 30 minutes to make sure that the
film has had enough time to dry.
2
Remove the film and any dirt with special adhesive tapes.
Alternative Procedure
For these types of optical devices you can often use an ultrasonic bath
with isopropyl alcohol. Only use the ultrasonic bath if you are sure that it
won't cause any damage any part of the device.
1
Put the device into the bath for at least three minutes.
2
Blow away any remaining liquid with compressed air.
If there are any streaks or drying stains on the surface, repeat the cleaning
procedure.
How to clean metal filters or attenuator gratings
This kind of device is extremely fragile. A misalignment of the grating leads
to inaccurate measurements. Never touch the surface of the metal filter or
attenuator grating.
Be very careful when using or cleaning these devices. Do not use cotton
swabs or soft tissues, as there is the danger that you cannot remove the
lint and that the device will be destroyed by becoming mechanically
distorted.