Different Construction of Waveplates
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Single Plate
Construction: Made from a single piece of birefringent material, such as quartz or mica.
Features:
- Simple design with a defined thickness that determines the phase shift (e.g., quarter-wave or half-wave).
- Commonly used in applications where precise control over polarization is required.
- Limited in terms of thermal stability and wavelength range compared to more complex designs
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Cemented
Construction: Two birefringent plates bonded together using optical cement.
Features:
- Provides greater durability compared to air-spaced designs, suitable for rugged environments.
- Typically operates within a temperature range of -30°C to +80°C.
- However, this construction can lead to degradation in beam deviation and wavefront quality due to the presence of the cement layer
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Air Spaced
Construction: Composed of two birefringent plates separated by an air gap.
Features:
- High laser damage threshold and excellent performance across a wide temperature range.
- Maintains optimal beam deviation and transmitted wavefront quality.
- More expensive due to the need for coatings on both surfaces to minimize reflective losses
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Optical Contact
more about optical contactConstruction: Two polished surfaces are brought into contact without any adhesive, relying on Van der Waals forces for bonding.
Features:
- Excellent preservation of beam deviation and transmitted wavefront quality.
- Sensitive to temperature changes; large units may require careful handling to prevent separation due to thermal stress.
- Ideal for high-performance applications where maintaining optical integrity is critical
