A diffuser can be any translucent material that scatters light, most commonly applied in the form of a panel or cover that is placed directly over a light source. Its main purpose is to diffuse (or “spread out”) light in a more uniform manner. It can help reduce the sharpness of shadows or greatly reduce harsh, unwanted glare. One common application is to eliminate lamp filament or LED “hot spots”, which can_at times be very intense. A diffuser is commonly used over LED lighting to distribute light output more evenly over a given area while also affording some protection for the LEDs.
MidOpt offers both glass and acrylic options. Various thicknesses and specific transmission levels (from 5 – 93%) can be provided. Common diffuser types include ground glass, molded/textured acrylic, thin plastic film, flashed or solid opal glass, molded/textured glass and diffractive diffusers. The latter are generally much more costly but can be used to manipulate LED light output to provide a more precise spatial configuration and intensity profile, all while keeping light loss due to back-scattering to a minimum.
