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Selection table to guide you through the decision process. Waveplates, also known as retardation plates, are birefringent optical elements. The two principal axes of birefringence are referred to as "slow" and "fast", indicating the relative speeds of propagation of the respective linear polarization through the medium. The polarization of an incident beam may be manipulated by judicious choice of the retardation and the relative angle of the incident polarization to the principle planes of the optic. | Waveplate | (λ/100 bandwidth) λ/2 @532 nm | Accep-
tance Angle | Plates | Typical length
(mm) | Damage threshold (peak pulse power) |
|---|
Low-order Waveplate
(Quartz) | 0.55nm (T=0.5060
mm) | Med. | single | 0.2~0.5 | 1GW/cm2 | Zero-order waveplate
(Quartz) | Cemented | 19.22nm
(ΔT=0.0145 mm) | Low | Double cemented (epoxy) | ~1 | ~ 10 MW/cm2 | | Optically Contacted | 19.22nm
(ΔT=0.0145 mm) | Low | Double
(Optical
Contacted) | ~1 | ~200 MW/cm2 | | Air-spaced | 19.22nm (ΔT=0.0145 mm) | Low | Double (air spaced) | ~1 | ~500 MW/cm2 | | True Zero-order Waveplate | Cemented
(Quartz/
BK7 or
Fused
Silica) | 19.22nm (T=0.0145 mm) | High | Double (cemented by epoxy | ~1 | ~ 10MW/cm2 | Single Plate
(Quartz) | 19.22nm (T=0.0145 mm） | High | single | <0.2 | > 1GW/cm2 | Achromatic Waveplate
(Quartz, MgF2) | 250 nm | Low | Two
(cemented
by epoxy) | ~2 | ~ 10MW/cm2 | Double Wavelength Waveplate
(Quartz) | Very Small | Low | single | 0.2~2 | 1GW/cm2 | Fresnal Rhomb Retarder
(Fused Silica,
BK7, CaF2) | Broadband | Med. | single or double
(optical contact or cemented) | | 500 MW/cm2 |
| In addition to single components, we will gladly provide functional subunits according to your needs. For example, we can supply isolators comprising a quarter-waveplate and polarizing beamsplitter cube mounted together in a single drop-in unit. |  |
 | A half-waveplate cemented or optically contacted to a polarizing beamsplitter configured as a rhomboid prism serves as a parallel beamsplitter with parallel polarization components. |
We look forward to your challenging optics needs. Please contact us with your requirements.
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Optics 
