Achromatic Zero-Order Wave Plates
  • Superior broadband performance
  • Retardation maintained to ±λ/100 over the bandwidth
  • Less sensitive to wavelength change than achromatic quartz-MgF2 wave plates
  • Better angular acceptance than achromatic quartz-MgF2 wave plates
  • Operate over a broad temperature range
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DescriptionSpecifications Models Catalog PDF

Newport achromatic zero-order wave plates are designed to operate with a high degree of retardation accuracy over a broad wavelength range. These true zero-order wave plates are constructed using a stack of birefringent polymer films laminated between two high-precision BK 7 windows, each with a high efficiency, broadband antireflection coating. 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.

Achromatic polymer wave plates have better angular acceptance and less sensitivity to wavelength change than achromatic quartz–MgF2 wave plates. Retardation changes by less than 1% over a ±7° incidence angle and is maintained to better than ±λ/100 over the entire bandwidth. Optical transmittance varies slightly from the precision zero-order wave plates because several polymer layers are used in each achromatic wave plate.

Achromatic wave plates are available in λ/4 or λ/2 retardation over four 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, see Polarization

Specifications
 Retarder Material  Birefringent polymer film stack
 Substrate Material  BK 7, grade A, fine annealed optical glass
 Retardation  λ/4 or λ/2
 Retardation Accuracy  ±λ/100
 Wavefront Distortion  ≤λ/4 at 632.8 nm over the full aperture
 Clear Aperture  10.2 mm
 Surface Quality  40-20 scratch-dig
 Transmitted Beam Deviation  ≤1 arc min
 Acceptance Angle  ± 7°
 Thickness  3.56 mm
 Housing Diameter  25.4 ±0.13 mm
 Housing Thickness  6.2 mm
 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, 0.3 J/cm2 with 10 nsec pulses, visible, 0.5 J/cm2 with 10 nsec pulses at 1064 nm, typical
 Housing  Black anodized aluminum


λ/4 Wave Plate Retardance


λ/4 Wave Plate Retardance

λ/2 Wave Plate Retardance


λ/2 Wave Plate Retardance

Internal Transmittance


Internal Transmittance

Wavelength Performance of Common λ/4 Wave Plates


Wavelength Performance of Common λ/4 Wave Plates