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We supply a wide range of
polarizers, including Glan
Laser, Glan Taylor, Glan Thompson, Wollaston and Rochon by employing
birefringent crystals: a-BBO, Calcite, YVO4 and quartz. The material
properties of birefringent crystals are deciding factors in your selection
of the right type polarizer.
a-BBO (high temperature
phase of BaB2O4) is characterized by large birefringent coefficient and
wide transmission window from 189nm to 3500nm, particularly suitable for
high power UV polarizer (200-300nm).
YVO4 crystal has been widely used in fiber optical
components due to its large birefringence, good physical and favorable
mechanical properties. Since the crystal has high transmission from 500 to
3500 nm, it is recommended to use YVO4 polarizer for IR (up to 4000nm)
application.
Crystal quartz is a natural occurring as well as
synthetically grown positive uniaxial crystal that is optical active, i.e.
it rotates the plane of polarization of linearly polarized input beam
traveling along the crystal optic axis. Because of it's reatively low
birefringence, it is not feasible to fabricate a crystal quartz Glan type
polarizer but as Rochon polarizer.
Calcite is a natural minded crystal and the most common
crystals for polarizers used as visible and near IR polarizers. Defect in
bulk calcite are characterized by bubbles, striae, optical inhomogeneity
and stress birefringence. These defects cause degradation of polarization
and transmission loss due to scattering and absorption. That is why the
extinction of the polarizer is not as high as synthetically grown material
YVO4, a-BBO and crystal quartz.
Table of Comparison:
|
YVO4
|
Calcite
|
a-BBO
|
Quartz
|
| Transparency |
400-5000nm
|
350-2300nm
|
189-3500nm
|
200-2300nm
|
| Crystal class(Uniaxial) |
Positive
no=na=nb,ne=nc
|
Negative
no=na=nb,ne=nc
|
Negative
no=na=nb,ne=nc
|
Positive
no=na=nb,ne=nc
|
| Mohs hardness |
5
|
3
|
4.5
|
7
|
| Thermal Expansion Coefficient |
aa=4.43x10-6/K
ac=11.37x10-6/K
|
aa=24.39x10-6/K
ac=5.68x10-6/K
|
aa=4x10-6/K
ac=36x10-6/K
|
aa=6.2x10-6/K
ac=10.7x10-6/K
|
| Hygroscopic susceptibility |
Low
|
Low to moisture
|
Low
|
Low
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A polarizer is an important optical component that is widely used in laser
systems to generate linear polarization laser. We supply following
polarizers with a-BBO, Calcite or YVO4.
They are suitable for a wide range of spectrums and high polarization
purity applications.
|
Polarizer
|
Material
|
Illustration
|
Properties and Application
|
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Glan-Taylor
Polarizer
|
a-BBO
(190-3500nm)
Calcite
(350-2300nm)
YVO4
(500-5000nm)
|
a-BBO
|
|
Air-spaced |
|
|
Close to Brewster's Angle Cutting. |
|
|
Low L/A=0.8 |
|
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Mounted without escape windows. |
|
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For low to medium power application. |
|
|
Glan-Laser
Polarizer
|
a- BBO
(190-3500nm)
Calcite
(350-2300nm)
YVO4
(500-5000nm)
|
|
|
|
Air Spaced.
|
|
|
Close to Brewster's
angle Cutting.
|
|
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Mounted with escape windows.
|
|
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Suitable for high power applications.
|
|
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L/A=1.5
|
|
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Glan-Thompson
Polarizer
|
a- BBO
(220-900nm)
Calcite
(350-2300nm)
|
|
|
Cemented.
|
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Suitable for low power applications.
|
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Wide acceptance angle.
|
|
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Wollaston
Polarizer
|
a- BBO
(200-3500nm)
Calcite
(350-2300nm)
YVO4
(400-4000nm)
Quartz
(200-2300nm)
|
|
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Cemented.
|
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Separate ordinary and extraordinary beams at certain angle.
|
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Suitable for low power application and where the large
deviation is required
|
|
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Glan-Thompson
Polarizer Beamsplitter Cube
|
a- BBO
(200-3500nm)
Calcite
(350-2300nm)
YVO4
(400-4000nm)
Quartz
(200-2300nm)
|
|
|
Cemented.
|
|
Separate ordinary and extraordinary beams at certain angle.
|
|
Suitable for low power application and where the large
deviation is required
|
|
|
Rochon
Polarizer
|
a-BBO
(200-3500nm)
YVO4
(400-4000nm)
Quartz
(200-2300nm)
|
|
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a-BBO is used to guarantee a wide transmission
range.
|
|
Especially, suitable for UV application.
|
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Split the ordinary and extraordinary ray, but only ordinary
beam is deviated
|
|
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Polarization
Beamsplitter
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BK7 Grade A Optical Glass
or
SF5 Optical
Glass
|
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Split the ordinary and extraordinary ray. The
ordinary beam is deviated 90°. For detailed information,
refer to Beamsplitter.
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There are many types of prism, each having a particular geometry, used to achieve the
reflections required to perform a specific imaging task. Reflecting
prisms may invert, rotate, deviate or displace a beam. Dispersing prisms
produce spectral separation for spectroscopic applications or tuning a
laser output.
Red Optronics provides all kinds of high precision prisms,
including Penta Prism, Beamsplitter Penta Prism, Right Angle Prism, and
Corner Cube. Our micro Penta Prism and Right Angle Prism are widely used
in optical communication, such as optical switches.
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