High-energy polarizing cube beamsplitters provide efficient narrowband polarization for use with Nd:YAG lasers. Each polarizer consists of a pair of precision right-angle prisms optically contacted together. No cement is used. Cubes are optimized for either 532 or 1064 nm, with a damage threshold of up to 10 J/cm2 is a achievable.
Note: Specifications below are common to all products presented. See Individual product details for complete information.
Cube beamsplitters are formed by cementing two right angle prisms together. One of the two prisms has the partially reflective metal-dielectric coating applied to its hypotenuse. In Newport's cube beamsplitters the coated prism is marked with a visible dot. Incident light should enter the prism with the coated hypotenuse in order to minimize power passing through the optical cement. Alternatively, a beam entering via the uncoated prism results in more than triple the fluence in the cement (the transmitted component, plus a double pass by the reflected component). With higher power beams this can result in degradation of the cement.
The hypotenuse of one of the prisms is coated with a multilayer dielectric polarizing beamsplitter coating optimized for wavelength at 248, 355, 405, 532, 1064, or 1550 nm.
An unpolarized beam is split into two orthogonal, linearly polarized components. P-polarized light is transmitted, while s-polarized light is reflected, both with negligible absorption. The extinction ratio is better than 200:1. This unique component provides all the benefits of a thin film plate polarizer in a standard cube configuration.