Opto Sigma

• Available with lateral beam displacements from 2 to 4mm
• Made from optical quality natural calcite
• Wide transmission range from 215nm to 2300nm
• Mounted in a metallic cell for protection and convenience

This simple calcite element separates the o-ray and the e-ray into two laterally displaced beams of orthogonal polarization.

These beam displacers are mounted in an aluminum cell for convenience in mounting.

• Made from the highest quality natural calcite

• Provides a full 45 degree split between the two polarizations

• Mounted in a metal cell for convenience and protection

• Available in three sizes: 8mm, 10mm and 12mm square

These are Glan Thompson prisms which are extended to have an output face polished normal to the exiting o-ray. By this means it is possible to obtain a 45 degree split between the two orthogonal polarizations.

• Thin film polarizers for broadband use
• Three convenient wavebands cover most applications
• Laser quality and performance
• 100:1 Extinction ratio

These thin film cube beamsplitters combine the excellent characteristics of the laser polarizing beamsplitters previously described with the advantage of broadband application. The polarizing film is fully protected within the cube making them durable and convenient to use. Three wavebands have been chosen to cover most general applications: 450-680 covers the visible spectrum and a wide selection of laser wavelengths, 650-850 covers most visible range diode lasers and 1300-1600 covers most telecommunications band diode lasers. Although these polarizers will work well over the entire broadband specified they are manufactured to laser performance standards.

• Plastic sheet polarizers are convenient and useful for multiple purposes
• Available with glass cover plates and mounting ring for rigidity and protection
• Unmounted versions available up to 100mm in diameter
• Single sheet transmission of 36%
• Extinction ratio of 1 x 10-4 for high contrast applications

These are sheets of dichroic plastic material which provide a reasonable degree of polarization at an economical price. They are laminated between two thin sheets of glass for rigidity and mounted in a metal ring for ease of use and handling. The optic axis is marked.

These are broadband devices operating over a range of 380-750nm, and 760-2000nm.

We also offer economical unmounted sheets of this material which are neither sandwiched between glass covers nor mounted in the aluminum ring around the outside. The unmounted material has a slight tendency to curl in one direction.

• High power capacity: up to 500MW/cm2 pulsed
• Made from high optical quality natural calcite
• Conveniently mounted in a metal cell
• Available with two, one or no escape ports for extra power capacity
• Excellent extinction ratio of 5x10-5

Glan laser prisms are a form of calcite prism which has been adapted for high power laser use. The two prism sections are polished at an angle between the critical angles of the e and o rays for the incoming light and are air-spaced and mounted within absorbing black glass in a cell. As light enters the polarizer one polarization orientation of the beam is refracted at a different angle from the other. Thus the e-ray hits the air-spaced interface at an angle below Brewster’s angle and is transmitted. The o-ray is totally reflected out of the prism into either the black glass or the escape port. Normally they are supplied in a cylindrical cell but the cell can be cut away on one or both sides to provide an exit path for the unwanted beam. The escape port type has a greater power handling capacity than the plain metal mounts because the unwanted energy can be dumped outside the cell rather than being absorbed within it. The advantage of 2 ports is that light can enter the prism from either direction.

• Available in both symmetrical and asymmetrical output configurations
• High extinction ratio of 5x10-5
• Conveniently mounted in a metal cell
• Ideal for medium power applications requiring high performance
• Suitable for Ultra-Violet applications

These prisms are used in medium power applications requiring high transmission and a high degree of polarization purity. Like the Glan laser prisms they are air-spaced to minimize absorption losses. The two prism sections are mounted in absorbing black glass within the cell. Two types are offered — single and double. The single version is the simplest but the double version gives a perfectly symmetrical polarization field at the expense of a slight increase in Ultra-Violet absorption.

• Available with either 15 degree or 25 degree full angular fields
• Cemented surfaces handle up to 5W/cm2 pulsed
• E-ray transmittance better than 90%
• Provided in a convenient metal mounting cell

These polarizing prisms are the simplest form of calcite polarizer. They are cemented, making them only useful for relatively low power applications. They have a wide and symmetrical field of view and make extremely versatile general purpose polarizers. The o-ray is absorbed in the material surrounding the prism and the e-ray is transmitted. Two versions are offered having different length/aperture ratios and consequently different angular fields. These prisms are normally provided in a metal cell but since they are cemented together they can be supplied unmounted if required.

• Thin film polarizers optimized for use at popular laser wavelengths
• Transmitted extinction ratio of better than 2.5x10-3
• Reflected extinction ratio of better than 2x10-2
• Polarizing film mounted on the internal face of a cube beamsplitter
• Multilayer high efficiency narrowband Anti-Reflection coatings on all faces

These are thin film polarizers constructed as a cube. Thin film polarizers utilize the polarization which occurs on reflection from a plane surface. By combining a large number of such surfaces in a stack it is possible to obtain useful extinction ratios. The s-polarization is more than 99% reflected while the p-polarization can be suppressed in the reflected beam and become 95% transmitted. Thin film polarizers can be optimized for a particular wavelength to give superior performance for laser applications.

• Thin film polarizers optimized for use at popular laser wave lengths
• Transmitted extinction ratio of better than 1x10-2
• Reflected extinction ratio of better than 2x10-2
• Polarizing film mounted on the internal face of a cube beamsplitter
• Multilayer high efficiency narrowband Anti-Reflection coatings on all faces

These are thin film polarizers constructed as a cube. Thin film polarizers utilize the polarization which occurs on reflection from a plane surface. By combining a large number of such surfaces in a stack it is possible to obtain useful extinction ratios. The s-polarization is more than 99% reflected while the p-polarization can be suppressed in the reflected beam and become 95% transmitted. Thin film polarizers can be optimized for a particular wavelength to give superior performance for laser applications.

• For use throughout the visible spectrum

• First order retardation calibrated at 550nm

• Protected by glass cover plates on both sides

• Precisely made from optical grade natural mica

These useful broadband waveplates are manufactured by cleaving crystalline mica to have the precise required first order retardation at 550nm wavelength. They are useful throughout the visible spectrum from 400 to 700nm. The mica is sandwiched between optical glass discs for protection and ease of use. The optic axis is marked. These mica waveplates are uncoated.

• Thoroughly scrambles a polarized beam to make it appear unpolarized
• Available in both single and double wedge configurations
• Made from the finest optical quality crystalline quartz
• Single wedge form has transmission from 180nm to 4500nm
• Mounted in metal ring for convenience

  These quartz wedges scramble the polarization of an impinging beam of light and render it substantially depolarized. We offer a single wedge and a double wedge. The single wedge introduces a deviation in the beam of light. By cementing two wedges together it is possible to reduce the beam deviation to less than 10arcmin. However, this is achieved at the expense of broadband transmission since an index-matched optical cement must be used. Both types are 17mm square and are mounted in a 30mm diameter metal cell.   

• First order Quartz Waveplates
• Made from high quality optical grade crystalline quartz
• 17mm by 17mm square clear aperture
• Mounted in a metal ring with engraved wavelength identification
• Optically contacted for precision retardation
• Both quarter wave and half wave retardation versions available

These are formed from two thin sections of crystalline quartz which have been cut to include the optic axis. The two sections are polished to different thicknesses in order to be have exactly the required retardation difference. They are then optically contacted with the axes opposed. In this way it is possible to provide precise first order retardation in a plate of usable thickness. The plates are 17mm square with a combined thickness of 5mm. They are mounted in a 30mm diameter by 6mm thick cell with the combined optic axis along the diagonal. The cell is engraved with the wavelength and the retardation. We offer both λ/4 retardation and λ/2 retardation waveplates for a variety of wavelengths.

• Evenly splits both polarizations into two divergent beams
• Available with 5, 10, 15 and 20 degree beam separation
• Mounted in a metal cell for convenience and protection
• Extinction ratio of 1x10-5
• Handles power levels to 1W/cm2 CW, 5W/cm2 pulsed

Wollaston Prisms split an incoming beam into two separate output beams of orthogonal polarization. The two beams have an angular separation which can be either 5, 10, 15 or 20 degrees and which is approximately symmetrical about the optical axis.