Where to Buy Waveplates

Shalom EO offers a variety of waveplates and retarders including true zero-order waveplates, zero-order waveplates, dual wavelength zero-order waveplates, low-order and achromatic waveplates and Fresnel rhombs. These waveplates are made from quartz or MgF₂ crystals and are of excellent qualities with high damage threshold. Their structures can be varied for different requirements, e.g. to obtain epoxy cemented, air space or optically contacted designs. The retardation can be λ/4 or λ/2; both off-the-shelf and customized and mounted/coated modules are available.

Fresnel rhombs provide uniform λ/4 or λ/2 retardance over a wider range of wavelengths than possible with birefringent waveplates. Please visit our website for more information.

Artifex Engineering offers a wide range of custom waveplates for many applications. Waveplates, also known as retardation plates, are birefringent optical elements. Our portfolio covers achromatic, low order, zero and true zero order and MID-IR waveplates. Mounts are available for our waveplates on request. For example, we can provide true zero order plates mounted on an annular glass frame. In this manner, a robust optic is available with the full optical properties of a true zero order waveplate. In addition to single components, we will gladly provide functional subunits according to your needs. For example, we can supply isolators comprising a quarter-waveplate and polarizing beamsplitter cube mounted together in a single drop-in unit. Visit our product page for more information on each waveplate. We look forward to your inquiry.

Optogama provides crystalline quartz waveplates, achromatic (broadband) waveplates, and mid-infrared waveplates:

• Mounted crystalline quartz zero-order compensated, air-spaced half-wave and quarter-wave retardance waveplates are designed for a particular wavelength in the range of 257 – 1550 nm. Zero-order design features lower temperature and wavelength dependence compared to low and multiple order waveplates.
• Mounted achromatic (broadband) half-wave and quarter-wave retardance waveplates are intended for several bands in the wavelength range of 460 nm – 1700 nm.
• Unique zero-order, monolithic design mid-infrared (MWIR and LWIR) waveplates for the spectral range of 2800 nm – 10600 nm are available with quarter-wave, half-wave or any other custom retardance.

Shanghai Optics manufacturers micro-waveplates as small as 0.35 mm × 0.35 mm with tolerance of ±0.05 mm and thickness about 0.19 mm. Please contact us for manufacturing limit or custom specifications.

WOP offers polarization converters which are exceptional for their ultra-high damage threshold, suitable even for high-power lasers.

S-Waveplate converts linear polarization to radial or azimuthal polarization and circular polarization to an optical vortex.

Main features:

• converts linear polarization to radial or azimuthal polarization
• converts circular polarization to an optical vortex
• high 94% transmission at 1030 nm (no AR coating)
• stand-alone – no additional optical elements needed
• high damage threshold: 63,4 J/cm² at 1064 nm, 10 ns and 2,2 J/cm² at 1030 nm, 212 fs
• suitable for high LIDT applications and high-power lasers
• reliable and resistant surface – the structure is inside the bulk

Additional waveplate assortment:

• higher order S-Waveplate: converts linear polarization to higher-order polarization patterns
• custom waveplate: enable patterned polarization control at the specific point of the laser beam

We offer flat windows waveplates. λ/2 and λ/4 waveplates, custom wavelengths and cuts.

We offer a wide choice of zero-order, multiple-order and low-order waveplates made from crystalline quartz. Also, we have dual-wavelength waveplates for Ti:sapphire, Yb:KGW/KYW and Nd:YAG lasers, and achromatic waveplates for tunable lasers.

See us at CLEO 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, May 7–9 (booth 305)!

Avantier produces microwaveplates with extremely small dimensions, as small as 0.35 mm × 0.35 mm, with a tolerance of ±0.05 mm and a thickness of about 0.19 mm. For more information on our manufacturing limits or to request custom specifications, please contact us.

ALPHALAS offers unique tunable and standard phase retardation plates (waveplates). A single UVIR type quarter-wave or half-wave plate can be adjusted to the desired phase retardation for an arbitrary wavelength from 150 nm (vacuum-UV) to 6500 nm (far infrared) and the FIR type waveplate from 1 μm to 21 μm. The bandwidth is up-to 200 nm. They replace hundreds of ordinary phase retardation plates required to cover these ultrawide spectral ranges. The tunable waveplates are by design zero-order and can be used for polarization control of broad-spectrum laser sources like femtosecond lasers and OPOs.

Conventional zero-order, low-order and high-order waveplates for all standard wavelengths as well as customized designs and Fresnel rhombs are also available.

Applications span from polarization measurement and control, polarimetry, laser research, spectroscopy up to nonlinear optics.

Knight Optical offers a range of stock and custom waveplates. Our stock catalogue consists of zero and low order quartz waveplates, achromatic waveplates, mica retarders, and plastic retarders. With our custom capabilities we are able to offer a wider variety including multiple order waveplates.

Edmund Optics offers a variety of waveplates with crystalline or polymer materials, including multiple order, zero order, or achromatic waveplates. Polymer waveplates offer superior performance over a wider range of incidence angles. Multiple order waveplates are ideal for use with monochromatic light that deviates less than 1% of the waveplate’s design wavelength. Zero order retarders offer high performance over wider wavelength or temperature ranges. Achromatic waveplates offer the most constant performance over the widest wavelength or temperature ranges.

See us at CLEO 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, May 7–9 (booth 116), SPS Italia 2024 in Parma, Italy, May 28–30 (booth H069, hall 5) and Optics and Photonics Days 2024 in Helsinki, Finland, May 28–30 (booth 12)!

UltraFast Innovations (UFI) offers the AURORA, which is a phase retarder (quarter waveplate) with a four mirror grazing incidence reflection geometry for the extreme ultraviolet. It covers the range from 40 to 85 eV photon energy and reaches >25% transmittivity around 66 eV. A clear aperture of 3 mm allows the low divergent XUV from an HHG cell to pass through without clipping.

See us at Ultrafast Phenomena 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, July 14–19!