General Optics
Prisms & Rhombs
Produce quarter-wave, half-wave, or other retardations with broadband sources or multiple wavelengths over 8 - 12 µm.
These Fresnel prisms and rhombs use total internal reflection to produce a phase change between s- and p-polarizations that is nearly wavelength independent. This enables straight-through and angled components with virtually any desired retardation.
Prisms & Rhombs Design Guide
Select various geometries to produce different polarization effects and also angles or offsets in the transmitted beam path.
Prism Type |
Configuration |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
Quarter-Wave Prism |
 |
Turns the beam path. |
Quarter-Wave Rhomb |
 |
The output beam is parallel but displaced from the input. |
Half-Wave Rhomb |
 |
Output polarization can be rotated. The output beam is parallel but linearly displaced from the input beam. |
