As Ultrafast Amplifiers evolve to higher and higher powers, there is a need for larger diameter optics with broadband performance. The new larger diameter Achromatic Zero-Order Quartz-MgF2 Waveplates address this need. Available in half or quarter wave retardance, the air spaced waveplates offer high damage resistance and low dispersion.
Achromatic Quartz-MgF2 Zero-Order Wave Plates provide a much higher degree of retardation accuracy than regular zero-order quartz wave plates. Achromatic Quartz-MgF2 Wave Plates operate over a broad wavelength range, compared to the single wavelength performance of zero-order quartz wave plates.
Newport’s Achromatic Quartz-MgF2 Zero-Order Wave Plates consist of two different birefringent crystals —crystalline quartz and magnesium fluoride (MgF2) — each with a highly efficient broadband antireflection coating, in an air-spaced design. This construction ensures excellent transmitted wavefront quality, while minimizing beam deviation and surface reflection losses. The assembly is mounted in a black anodized aluminum housing for protection and ease of mounting, with the retarder fast axis marked for alignment reference.
Because of the air-space design, our Achromatic Quartz-MgF2 Wave Plates have a higher damage threshold than achromatic polymer film wave plates. Achromatic Quartz-MgF2 Wave Plates are ideal for Ultrafast applications.
Our Achromatic Wave Plates are available in λ/4 or λ/2 retardation over three wavelength ranges throughout the visible and near infrared. The standard 25.4 mm outer diameter is convenient for mounting into Newport rotary mounts.
For a tutorial on wave plates, view Polarization
Specifications
| Material |
Crystal Quartz and MgF2 |
| Construction |
Air-spaced |
| Retardation |
λ/4 or λ/2 |
| Retardation Accuracy |
From ±λ/50 to ±λ/100 |
| Wavefront Distortion |
≤λ/4 at 632.8 nm over the clear aperture |
| Clear Aperture |
12 or 23 mm |
| Surface Quality |
40-20 scratch-dig |
| Transmitted Beam Deviation |
≤1 arc min |
| Acceptance Angle |
See Retardation Performance Graphs |
| Thickness |
< 3.5 mm |
| Housing Diameter |
25.4 or 30 ±0.13 mm |
| Housing Thickness |
9.5 mm Max |
| Temperature Range |
-20 °C to 50 °C |
| Antireflection Coating |
Broadband, multilayer coating, Ravg <0.5% |
| Cleaning |
Non-abrasive method, acetone or isopropyl alcohol
on lens tissue recommended (see Care and Cleaning of Optics) |
| Damage Threshold |
500 W/cm2 CW, 2 J/cm2 with 8 nsec pulses at 1064 nm, typical |
| Housing |
Black anodized aluminum |
When placed between parallel polarizers, the half wave plate is expected to have no transmission across the full wavelength range. The graphs below show the performance of the the wave plate having less than 0.05% to 1% intensity, depending on the wavelength range.
As for the quarter wave plate, that is expected to have 50% transmission when placed between parallel polarizers across the full wavelength range. Looking at the graphs below, the fluctuation between maximum and minimum transmission is small - roughly 50 +/- 5% for the visible wavelength range and only 50 +/- 1% for the IR wavelength range.
400-700 nm λ/2 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP52-1
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP52-1
700-1000 nm λ/2 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP52-2
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP52-2
1000-1600 nm λ/2 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP52-3
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP52-3
400-700 nm λ/4 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP54-1
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP54-1
700-1000 nm λ/4 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP54-2
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP54-2
1000-1600 nm λ/4 Wave Plate Intensity and Retardance
% intensity of wave plate placed at 45° azimuth between two open polarizers, 10RP54-3
Retardation vs. Wavelength, 10RP54-3
