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Meadowlark Optics

Waveplates and Retarders

Why Meadowlark Waveplates? Our exceptional capabilities!

  • Linear Retardance Measurement Accuracy Of Approximately ±0.0005 Waves From 400 – 1000 nm Wavelength And Approximately ±0.002 Waves Between 240 – 400 nm And 1 Micron To 5 Microns Wavelength
  • Confirmed Clocking Accuracy On Compound Zero Order Retarders To Better Than 0.05°
  • Larger Variety Of Waveplate Types Than Any Other Company
  • Linear Retarders, Circular Retarders And Elliptical Retarders
  • Catalog Linear Retarders: True Zero Order, Compound Zero Order, Wide Angular Field Of View, Achromatic, And Superachromatic
  • Custom Retarders: Athermal Crystalline, Wide Angular Field Of View, Achromatic Linear Retarders, Achromatic Circular Retarders, Elliptical Retarders
  • Largest Known Crystal Waveplates: Quartz To 135 mm Diameter And Magnesium Fluoride To 120 mm Diameter
  • Each Standard Waveplate Shipped With A Retardance Measurement At The Customer’s Wavelength Of Interest

What Waveplates (Retarders) Do - The Basics

A waveplate, also known as a retarder, is a tool used in optics that changes the way light waves moving through it are polarized. There are two main kinds of waveplates. The first kind, called a half-wave plate, changes the direction of light that’s polarized in a straight line. The second kind, known as a quarter-wave plate, can change light that’s polarized in a straight line into light that’s polarized in a circle, and can also do the reverse. Additionally, a quarter-wave plate can be used to create a special kind of polarization called elliptical polarization.

A phase retarder is a useful tool for manipulating polarized light by making the optical path length for one of the orthogonal polarizations different than the other. Generally speaking, quarter-wave retarders cause a phase shift in one electric field component which results in circularly polarized light. Half-wave retarders produce a λ/2 phase shift and rotate the polarization of linearly polarized light to twice the angle between the retarder’s fast axis and the plane of polarization. Passing circularly polarized light through a half-wave plate changes the “handedness” of the polarization.

Click the options below for retarders that Meadowlark Optics designs to excel in specific situations. Each product page includes a data sheet and links to more resources. Meadowlark currently offers online shopping in the United States only. We are happy to quote for your unique international location. Have questions? Contact us! We are happy to help!

Dual Wavelength Retarder Waveplates

Dual Wavelength Retarder

KEY FEATURES Low order Wide angular field Broad wavelength coverage Coated or Uncoated Available Mounted or Unmounted Available  

Details

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