High Damage Threshold Volume Pricing Superior IR performance Broad Spectral Performance UV...
DetailsA waveplate, also known as a retarder, is an optical device that changes the polarization state of light passing through it. It does this by introducing a controlled phase shift, or phase difference, between orthogonal polarization components of a light wave. There are two main kinds of waveplates. The first kind, called a half-wave plate, rotates the direction of linearly polarized light. The second kind, known as a quarter-wave plate, converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light, can do the reverse, and can also create elliptical polarization.
A phase retarder is a useful tool for manipulating polarized light because the phase difference it introduces depends on the plate thickness and the material’s birefringence. Birefringent materials have two principal axes: the fast axis and the slow axis. Generally speaking, quarter-wave retarders cause a phase shift of one electric field component, resulting 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. For optical engineers, researchers, university labs, and manufacturers working in aerospace, defense, microscopy, semiconductor, medical device, and telecommunications systems, selecting the right waveplate is central to precise polarization control and overall optical performance.
Click the options below for retarders that Meadowlark Optics designs and manufactures as precision polarization solutions and components for specific applications. Each product page includes a data sheet and links to more resources on waveplate principles, standard and custom waveplates, metrology, materials, coatings, and polarization-control applications, including spatial light modulators and liquid crystal devices. 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!
Industry-Leading Metrology – Meadowlark Optics employs proprietary measurement techniques to provide extremely accurate calibration measurements for every waveplate (retarder) we ship. This precise characterization of retardation, phase shift, and polarization control ensures that your waveplates and retarders—whether zero-order, multiple-order, or achromatic—perform exactly as specified across your desired wavelength range.
High Quality and Precision – Selecting the right waveplate involves considering key performance features such as wavelength dependence, temperature sensitivity, acceptance angle, aperture size, and response time. Our waveplates are crafted from precision birefringent materials such as crystalline quartz, magnesium fluoride, and calcite, each chosen for its birefringence and transparency across wide wavelength ranges. Quartz, for example, offers high transparency and stable performance, while birefringent polymers are also utilized in some designs, including our precision true zero-order polymer waveplate retarders. Our true zero-order waveplates provide stable retardation with minimal sensitivity to wavelength shifts and temperature, ideal for demanding applications.
Types of Waveplates – We offer a wide variety of waveplate types to suit diverse applications:
Zero Order Waveplates: Thin plates providing precise retardation with high thermal and wavelength stability.
Multiple Order Waveplates: Thicker plates that produce retardation equal to the desired phase shift plus several integral wavelengths; these are more sensitive to wavelength shifts and temperature changes but easier to manufacture.
Achromatic and Superachromatic Waveplates: Designed by combining materials with complementary birefringence to maintain nearly constant retardance over broad spectral ranges, perfect for femtosecond lasers and broadband sources such as our precision superachromatic waveplates.
Dual Wavelength Waveplates: Engineered to provide accurate retardance at two discrete wavelengths, useful in multi-laser systems.
Custom Solutions: Including space flight retarders, liquid crystal variable waveplates with rapid switching speeds, retarders integrated with beamsplitter cubes, and coatings for enhanced durability.
Applications – Whether you need a half-wave plate to rotate the polarization direction of linearly polarized light or a quarter-wave plate to produce circularly polarized light, Meadowlark’s waveplates support precision polarization control in aerospace, defense, microscopy, semiconductor, medical device, and telecommunications systems.
Our solutions engineers are ready to assist you in selecting the optimal waveplate tailored to your specific optical system requirements, ensuring precise control of input polarization and output polarization states through manipulation of fast and slow axes.
Explore our catalog and custom capabilities to find waveplates designed for your wavelength range, from UV to MWIR, and in mounted or unmounted configurations with coatings compatible with your system’s optical axis alignment.
Innovating since 1979, Meadowlark Optics has provided advanced polarization optics and crystal optic axis solutions for over four decades. Our team specializes in the design and manufacture of wave plates, retardation plates, and optical elements that manipulate light waves, specifically the electric field components, to achieve desired polarization states.
Operating out of a 20,000-square-foot facility equipped with clean rooms, advanced optical fabrication tools, and world-class metrology systems, we ensure precision in every nm of performance. Whether you’re working with linearly polarized wave setups, quarter wave plates for circular polarization, or exploring advanced merit function modeling for phase retardation, we’re here to help.
Need assistance choosing between zero-order, multi-order, or dual-wave designs? Contact a Meadowlark Solutions Engineer today to find the best waveplate for your project.
High Damage Threshold Volume Pricing Superior IR performance Broad Spectral Performance UV...
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Very thin profile Thermally stable High volume scalable AR coatings available Custom...
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Low order Wide angular field Broad wavelength coverage Coated or Uncoated Available Mounted or Unmounted Available Dual wavelength retarders can provide the same...
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Outer diameter up to 6 inches Clear aperture > 90% Custom size,...
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Broad spectral range Superior field of view Thermally Stable Custom Wavelengths Available...
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True zero-order retarders Excellent off-axis performance Unequaled measured accuracy Less temperature dependence...
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Unmatched off-axis performance Standard and custom wavelength retarders Mounted and unmounted versions...
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High extinction ratios Excellent surface quality Wide angular acceptance Low transmitted wavefront...
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