Where to Buy Waveplates

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.

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.

Known for their outstanding reliability and high quality, Knight Optical's retarders are used for the most cutting-edge applications. With options suitable for the UV, visible and near-infrared (NIR) (0.7 to 1.5 μm) wavebands, our range consists of liquid crystal variable (custom-made only), achromatic, mica, zero order quartz, low order quartz, Fresnel rhomb (custom-made only), plastic and Rochon (custom-made only) varieties.

We offer a wide choice of zero-order, multiple-order and low-order waveplates made from crystalline quartz. Dual-wavelength waveplates for Ti:sapphire, Yb:KGW/KYW and Nd:YAG lasers. Achromatic waveplates for operation with tunable lasers.

From crystal growth, crystal orientation and cutting, to waveplate fabrication and coating, no other waveplate supplier has as much control over the fabrication stages as G&H.

Our waveplates been used in the cutting edge of research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s NIF project to the most demanding of production environments in semiconductor metrology equipment.

For all wavelength ranges, we orient, cut, and polish the optical crystals for waveplate production. Tight internal controls enable better retardation tolerances within and between production runs.

Polishing, coating, assembly, and metrology complete the manufacturing process.

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.