Polarizers – Glan-Taylor, Glan-Thompson, Polarizing Beam Combiners & Splitters

Polarizers for Laser Light, Spectral Polarimetry and General Light Polarization

Glan-Taylor Polarizers
Glan-Thompson Prism Polarizers
Glan-Taylor Polarizer With Brewster Angled Faces
Glan-Taylor Polarizing Beam Combiner
Beamsplitter Cubes

Glan-Taylor Polarizers

Specifications:  Glan-Taylor Calcite Air Spaced Polarizers

Polarizer	GT10	GT12	GT15	GT18	GT20
Aperture (mm)	10	12	15	18	20
Width (mm)	11	13	17	20	22
Height (mm)	10	12	15	18	20
Length (±1.0mm)	11	15	18	21	24
Transmission range	0.25 - 2.5µm	0.25 - 2.5µm	0.25 - 2.5µm	0.25 - 2.5µm	0.25 - 2.5µm
Extinction Ratio	10-5	10-5	10-5	10-6	10-6
Transmission Uncoated	88%	88%	88%	88%	88%
Maximum Beam Deviation	3 min	3 min	3 min	2 min	2 min
Maximum Optical Power Pulsed	200MW/cm2	200MW/cm2	200MW/cm2	200MW/cm2	200MW/cm2
Maximum Optical Power CW	300W/cm2	300W/cm2	300W/cm2	300W/cm2	300W/cm2

LEYSOP supplies GT model Glan-Taylor polarizers with apertures from 10-20mm and larger by special order. Side faces are fine ground, which is adequate to disperse the internally reflected polarization state. Polished side exit faces are provided if required. The interface angle makes the polarizer suitable for operation across the transmission range of 0.25 – 2.5µm. Other interface angles can be ordered to cover the full transmission range of calcite from 0.2 – 2.5µm. The optical surfaces are polished to a flatness of λ/4 at 0.63µm.

Glan Taylor Polarizer
With Orthogonal Output Side Exit Escape Windows

In this novel Glan Taylor polarizer design two side exit windows give orthogonal output escape beams and the mechanical mount gives a high degree of protection to all four optical surfaces. They come un-mounted or in the optional mount pictured to the right.

Specifications: Glan Taylor Polarizer with Orthogonal Output Side Exit Escape Windows

Polarizer	GLBS 10	GLBS 12	GLBS16
Aperture	10 mm	112 mm	15 mm
Spectral Range	250-2500nm	250-2500nm	250-2500nm
Extinction Ratio	≥10-5	≥10-5	≥10-5
Maximum Beam Deviation	3 min	3 min	3 min
Transmission	88% (uncoated) 93-95% (ar-coated)	88% (uncoated) 93-95% (ar-coated)	88% (uncoated) 93-95% (ar-coated)
Surface Flatness	l/6 @ NaD	l/6 @ NaD	l/6 @ NaD
Maximum Optical Power	150W/cm2 (av) - 300MW/cm2 (pulsed)	150W/cm2 (av) - 300MW/cm2 (pulsed)	150W/cm2 (av) - 300MW/cm2 (pulsed)
Overall Dimensions:
Height	23 mm	25 mm	28 mm
Width	24 mm	27 mm	30 mm
Length	40 mm	48 mm	55 mm

Click here for information on our High Power Attenuators

Glan-Taylor Polarizer With Brewster Angled Faces

This special version of the Glan-Taylor polarizer is cut such that the P-polarization (extra-ordinary ray) intersects all four optical faces at Brewster’s angle, thus ensuring a minimal insertion loss over a wide operating wavelength range. Transmission in fact is approaching 99% for the P-polarization and extinction ratio is exceptional, exceeding that of the more conventional cut Glan-Taylor.

One disadvantage of the Brewster cut Glan-Taylor polarizer, as you can see from the diagram, is that it produces a reasonably large offset in the beam line. This is typically around 5 to 7mm depending on the size of the device and because of the refraction at the Brewster interfaces, it is also wavelength dependent.

Nominally available apertures are 8, 10 or 12mm and the polarizer can be supplied in a mount if required. As always, we are happy to discuss your precise requirements for these and other components so please contact us.

Glan-Taylor Polarizing Beam Combiner

This special version of the Glan-Taylor polarizer is cut such that the rejected S-polarized light exits in a direction parallel to the side exit face normal. More importantly, if the beam direction is reversed such that light is entering at the side face, it suffers no refraction at the surface and hence there is no dispersion of the position of the beam in the polarizer. This makes it possible to use this design for combining beams of orthogonal polarization and across a range of wavelengths without losing colinearity of the combined beams.

A range of sizes comparable to our conventional Glan-Taylor polarizers is available but as the prism sizes are larger, there is a modest premium on the price for a given aperture. Please contact us for further information.

Glan-Thompson Polarizers

Glan-Thompson cemented prism polarizers of calcite give the largest aperture field angle product of all calcite polarizer designs and the lowest transmission losses. The cemented interface, however, prevents their use with high power lasers. Applications include spectral polarimetry and general light polarization and analysis investigations.

In the standard form the length aperture ratio of L/A = 2.5 gives a useable angular polarized field symmetrical about the prism axis of greater than 14° while the long form L/A = achieves over 25°. They come un-mounted or in the optional mount pictured to the right.

Spectral Range

Extinction Ratio

Beam Deviation

Transmission Coated

Surface Flatness

Max Power cw

250-2300 nm

>10⁵

<2.0 min

97%

l/8

1.0w/cm²

Type	Clear Aperture (mm)	Ratio L/A	Mount Dia (mm)	Mount Length (nm)
GTM 10	10	2.5	25	28
GTM 12	12	2.5	25	33
GTM 15	15	2.5	30	40
GTM 20	20	2.5	40	55
GTML 10	10	3.0	25	35
GTML 12	12	3.0	25	40
GTML 15	15	3.0	30	50
GTML 20	20	3.0	40	65

Wollaston / Rochon Prism Polarizing Beam Splitters

Wollaston Type

Wollaston prism polarizing beam splitters consist of two equal angle calcite prisms optically coupled with optic axis orthogonally crossed to the direction of propagation. The beam separation of about 20° is then approximately balanced about the input beam axis. The transmission range for cemented prisms of 0.32 to 2.5µm to 18° at 2.5µm. They come un-mounted or in the optional mount pictured to the right.

Rochon Type

In this arrangement one polarization state is transmitted undeviated through the prism while the orthogonal component is deviated approximately 10°. The straight through component is clearly chromatic while the deviated beam varies from 11° at 0.32µm to 8.5° at 2.5µm.

 

Type	Aperture (mm)	Deviation (deg)	Mount Dia (mm)	Mount Length (nm)
BSW	10	20°	25	11
BSW	12	20°	25	13
BSW	15	20°	30	16
BSW	20	20°	40	20
BSR	10	10°	25	11
BSR	12	10°	25	13
BSR	15	10°	30	16
BSR	20	10°	40	20

Both varieties can be made from optically contracted quartz. The beam deviation is then 1° but the spectral range is increased to 0.2 – 2.0 µm.

Beamsplitter Cubes

Material

Dimension tolerance

Thickness tolerance

Flatness

Beam Deviation

Surface Quality

Coatings

AR coatings on all input and output faces
Angle of incidence

BK7

+0.0/-0.2mm

±0.1mm

1λ/4

0°±3’（T），90°±5’（R）

60-40

Single wavelength partial reflectance on hypotenuse face

0 degree

T/R= 50/50, 30/70, 40/60,T=(Ts+Tp)/2,R=(Rs+Rp)/2
T/R – Transmission/Reflection

Wavelength (nm)	T/R	Size: 25.4*25.4*25.4 mm	Size: 12.7*12.7*12.7 mm
532	50/50±2%	EOC-532-50-01	EOC-532-50-02
632		EOC-632-50-01	EOC-632-50-02
670		EOC-670-50-01	EOC-670-50-02
780	50/50±3%	EOC-780-50-01	EOC-780-50-02
1064		EOC-1064-50-01	EOC-1064-50-02
1310		EOC-1310-50-01	EOC-1310-50-02
400 - 700	50/50±5%	EOC-VIS-50-01	EOC-VIS-50-02
650 - 900		EOC-650-900-50-01	EOC-650-900-50-02
900 - 1200		EOC-900-1200-50-01	EOC-900-1200-50-02
1200 - 1600		EOC-1200-1600-50-01	EOC-1200-1600-50-02

Other wavelengths and dimensions are available upon request