The low (multiple) order waveplate is designed to give a retardance of several full waves, plus the desired fraction. This results in a single, physically robust component with desired performance. However, even small changes in wavelength or temperature will result in significant changes in the desired fractional retardance. They are less expensive and find use in many applications where the increased sensitivities are not an important.
The dual wavelength waveplate is a multiple waveplate that provides a specific retardance at two different wavelengths. It is particularly useful when used in conjunction with other polarization sensitive components to separate coaxial laser beams of different wavelength.
| Material | Quartz |
| Parallelism | < 1 arc Second |
| Dimension Unit | MM |
| Diameter Tolerance | +0 /-0.10 |
| Thickness | Approximately 0.5 mm |
| Surface Quality | 20-10 |
| Retardation Tolerance | λ/300 |
| Wavefront Distortion | λ/8 @ 633 nm |
| AR Coated | < 0.2% at Wavelength |
| Standard Wavelengths | 266, 355, 532, 632.8, 780, 808, 850, 980, 1064, 1310, 1480, 1550 Other wavelengths between 200-2300 nm are available upon request |
| * All dimensions are in mm | |