Double Linear Polarizer Variable Attenuator


  • Two Pre-Installed Ø1" Economy Film Polarizers
  • Operating Wavelength: 400 - 700 nm
  • Compatible with SM1-Threaded (1.035"-40) Lens Tubes

Input Side

Schematic of Cross Section of Variable Attenuator

External SM1
(1.035"-40) Threads,
0.25" Deep

Locking Ring

Internal SM1
(1.035"-40) Threads,
0.22" Deep

Fixed Polarizer

Retaining Ring

Rotating Polarizer

Rotation Locking Screw

Witness Line

Minimum (-)
Transmission Mark

Maximum (+)
Transmission Mark

PVAE1-A

Double Linear Polarizer Variable Attenuator

Output Side

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PVAE1-A Specifications
Polarizer Item # LPVISE100-A (Two Included)
Polarizing Material Dichroic Film
Window Material N-BK7a
Clear Aperture Ø22.86 mm
Surface Quality 60-40 Scratch-Dig
Operating Wavelength
Range
400 - 700 nm
AR Coating Range 350 - 700 nm
Reflectance over
Coating Range (Avg.)b
<0.5% at 0° AOI
AR Coating Curve icon
Extinction Ratioc,d >400:1 (400 - 700 nm)
>1000:1 (580 - 700 nm)
Damage Threshold 1 W/cm (532 nm, CW, Ø0.471 mm)e
0.07 J/cm2 (532 nm, 10 Hz, 8 ns, Ø200 µm)
Transmitted Wavefront
Distortion
λ at 633 nm
Beam Deviation <20 arcmin
  • Click link for detailed specifications on the substrate.
  • Per surface. The AR coating is applied only to the air-to-glass interfaces of the polarizers (four surfaces total).
  • The extinction ratio (ER) is the ratio of maximum to minimum transmission of a sufficiently linearly polarized input. The maximum transmission is when a sufficiently polarized input is aligned with the transmission axes of both polarizers. The minimum transmission is when sufficiently polarized input is aligned with the transmission axis of the fixed polarizer and the output polarizer is rotated until a minimum is reached (transmission axis is at 90° with respect to the fixed polarizer).
  • The extinction ratio is specified at 0º AOI and will vary slightly over the acceptance angle of the optic.
  • The power density of your beam should be calculated in terms of W/cm. For an explanation of why the linear power density provides the best metric for long pulse and CW sources, please see the Damage Thresholds tab.

Click to Enlarge

The top of the unit showing the propagation direction and the setscrew to lock the rotating polarizer. The minimum transmission engraving (-) can be seen.

Features

  • Ø1" Variable Attenuator Using Two LPVISE100-A Polarizers
  • Operating Wavelength Range: 400 - 700 nm
  • Maximum to Minimum Transmission by 90° Rotation
  • SM1 (1.035"-40) Internally and Externally Threaded
  • Fits Inside a 30 mm Cage System

Thorlabs offers an all-in-one attenuator that will reduce brightness as well as accentuate contrast. This gives the user much finer control of the image brightness compared to a standard fixed-transmission filter. When the polarizer transmission axes and input polarization are parallel, the transmission is at its maximum; rotate the output polarizer by 90° to achieve minimum transmission. The SM1 (1.035"-40) threads at the input and output remain fixed when the output polarizer is rotated, allowing this component to be used in a continuous lens tube system.

The attenuator consists of two LPVISE100-A economy film polarizers in a black-anodized aluminum housing; one polarizer is fixed within the housing and the other can be rotated by turning a knurled ring. The transmission axis of the fixed polarizer can be aligned with respect to the input light source's polarization by threading the attenuator into an internally SM1-threaded component until the desired angle is reached and then locking it in place using the SM1NT1 slotted locking ring. The ring can be tightened by hand or with an SPW502 spanner wrench (sold separately). The attenuation can then be controlled by adjusting the angle of the second polarizer. An engraved witness line on the rotating ring allows the user to track the rotation of the polarizer. The fixed portion of the housing has engraved plus (+) and minus (-) signs at 90° from each other to denote the output polarizer rotation angles that provide maximum and minimum transmission, respectively. The rotating ring can travel 15° past the minimum and maximum marks to ensure transmission requirements are met.

To lock the rotating polarizer once the desired attenuation is achieved, a #4-40 nylon tipped setscrew can be tightened with a 0.050" (1.27 mm) hex key or balldriver. To ensure proper mounting, an arrow is engraved on the component showing the direction of propagation, as seen in the photo above. See the table to the right for specifications and the Graphs tab for transmission, extinction ratio, and optical density data.

Each glass polarizer integrated in this attenuator has polarization efficiencies in excess of 99%. Featuring dichroic film sheets, which allow transmission and absorption of polarized light over a specified wavelength range, these polarizers provide high absorption of the rejected polarization, making them ideal for low-power applications. A protective N-BK7 window is epoxied onto each side of the film. These polarizers are optimized for use in the 400 - 700 nm range and have an AR coating for the 350 - 700 nm range deposited on the air-to-glass interface of each window. The full specifications can be found on the economy film polarizers page. Note that the polarizers cannot be removed from the attenuator.

This attenuator can be customized to hold any Ø1" polarizers we offer. For more information, please contact Tech Support to inquire about a custom order. Please see the Polarizer Guide tab for a comprehensive list of all our polarizers and available sizes.

An animation demonstrating how to align and lock in place the fixed polarizer with respect to the input light source, as well as how to adjust the attenuation and lock the unit when the user-selected attenuation is reached.

Click to Enlarge

Click Here for Data
The graph above shows the measured transmission of p-polarized light when the input polarization and both polarizer transmission axes are parallel (blue line); the measured transmission of unpolarized light when the polarizer transmission axes are crossed (green line); and the extinction ratio (ER, orange line). The shaded region represents the specified operating wavelength range of the variable attenuator.

Click to Enlarge

Click Here for Data
The graph above shows the optical density (OD) of p-polarized (blue line) and s-polarized (red line) light when the input polarization and both polarizer transmission axes are parallel. The shaded region represents the specified operating wavelength range of the variable attenuator.
icon
Click to Enlarge

Click Here for Raw Data
The blue shaded region indicates the specified 350 - 700 nm wavelength range where the specifications are guaranteed.
Damage Threshold Specifications
Coating Designation
(Item # Suffix)
Damage Threshold
-A 1 W/cm (532 nm, CW, Ø0.471 mm)a
0.07 J/cm2 (532 nm, 10 Hz, 8 ns, Ø200 µm)
  • The power density of your beam should be calculated in terms of W/cm. For an explanation of why the linear power density provides the best metric for long pulse and CW sources, please see the "Continuous Wave and Long-Pulse Lasers" section below.

Damage Threshold Data for Thorlabs' Double Linear Economy Film Polarizer

The specifications to the right are measured data for the polarizers used in Thorlabs' double linear polarizer variable attenuator.

 

Laser Induced Damage Threshold Tutorial

The following is a general overview of how laser induced damage thresholds are measured and how the values may be utilized in determining the appropriateness of an optic for a given application. When choosing optics, it is important to understand the Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of the optics being used. The LIDT for an optic greatly depends on the type of laser you are using. Continuous wave (CW) lasers typically cause damage from thermal effects (absorption either in the coating or in the substrate). Pulsed lasers, on the other hand, often strip electrons from the lattice structure of an optic before causing thermal damage. Note that the guideline presented here assumes room temperature operation and optics in new condition (i.e., within scratch-dig spec, surface free of contamination, etc.). Because dust or other particles on the surface of an optic can cause damage at lower thresholds, we recommend keeping surfaces clean and free of debris. For more information on cleaning optics, please see our Optics Cleaning tutorial.

Testing Method

Thorlabs' LIDT testing is done in compliance with ISO/DIS 11254 and ISO 21254 specifications.

First, a low-power/energy beam is directed to the optic under test. The optic is exposed in 10 locations to this laser beam for 30 seconds (CW) or for a number of pulses (pulse repetition frequency specified). After exposure, the optic is examined by a microscope (~100X magnification) for any visible damage. The number of locations that are damaged at a particular power/energy level is recorded. Next, the power/energy is either increased or decreased and the optic is exposed at 10 new locations. This process is repeated until damage is observed. The damage threshold is then assigned to be the highest power/energy that the optic can withstand without causing damage. A histogram such as that below represents the testing of one BB1-E02 mirror.

LIDT metallic mirror
The photograph above is a protected aluminum-coated mirror after LIDT testing. In this particular test, it handled 0.43 J/cm2 (1064 nm, 10 ns pulse, 10 Hz, Ø1.000 mm) before damage.
LIDT BB1-E02
Example Test Data
Fluence # of Tested Locations Locations with Damage Locations Without Damage
1.50 J/cm2 10 0 10
1.75 J/cm2 10 0 10
2.00 J/cm2 10 0 10
2.25 J/cm2 10 1 9
3.00 J/cm2 10 1 9
5.00 J/cm2 10 9 1

According to the test, the damage threshold of the mirror was 2.00 J/cm2 (532 nm, 10 ns pulse, 10 Hz, Ø0.803 mm). Please keep in mind that these tests are performed on clean optics, as dirt and contamination can significantly lower the damage threshold of a component. While the test results are only representative of one coating run, Thorlabs specifies damage threshold values that account for coating variances.

Continuous Wave and Long-Pulse Lasers

When an optic is damaged by a continuous wave (CW) laser, it is usually due to the melting of the surface as a result of absorbing the laser's energy or damage to the optical coating (antireflection) [1]. Pulsed lasers with pulse lengths longer than 1 µs can be treated as CW lasers for LIDT discussions.

When pulse lengths are between 1 ns and 1 µs, laser-induced damage can occur either because of absorption or a dielectric breakdown (therefore, a user must check both CW and pulsed LIDT). Absorption is either due to an intrinsic property of the optic or due to surface irregularities; thus LIDT values are only valid for optics meeting or exceeding the surface quality specifications given by a manufacturer. While many optics can handle high power CW lasers, cemented (e.g., achromatic doublets) or highly absorptive (e.g., ND filters) optics tend to have lower CW damage thresholds. These lower thresholds are due to absorption or scattering in the cement or metal coating.

Linear Power Density Scaling

LIDT in linear power density vs. pulse length and spot size. For long pulses to CW, linear power density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

Intensity Distribution

Pulsed lasers with high pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) may behave similarly to CW beams. Unfortunately, this is highly dependent on factors such as absorption and thermal diffusivity, so there is no reliable method for determining when a high PRF laser will damage an optic due to thermal effects. For beams with a high PRF both the average and peak powers must be compared to the equivalent CW power. Additionally, for highly transparent materials, there is little to no drop in the LIDT with increasing PRF.

In order to use the specified CW damage threshold of an optic, it is necessary to know the following:

  1. Wavelength of your laser
  2. Beam diameter of your beam (1/e2)
  3. Approximate intensity profile of your beam (e.g., Gaussian)
  4. Linear power density of your beam (total power divided by 1/e2 beam diameter)

Thorlabs expresses LIDT for CW lasers as a linear power density measured in W/cm. In this regime, the LIDT given as a linear power density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size, as demonstrated by the graph to the right. Average linear power density can be calculated using the equation below. 

The calculation above assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now consider hotspots in the beam or other non-uniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum power density. For reference, a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum power density that is twice that of the uniform beam (see lower right).

Now compare the maximum power density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has a linear relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 10 W/cm at 1310 nm scales to 5 W/cm at 655 nm):

CW Wavelength Scaling

While this rule of thumb provides a general trend, it is not a quantitative analysis of LIDT vs wavelength. In CW applications, for instance, damage scales more strongly with absorption in the coating and substrate, which does not necessarily scale well with wavelength. While the above procedure provides a good rule of thumb for LIDT values, please contact Tech Support if your wavelength is different from the specified LIDT wavelength. If your power density is less than the adjusted LIDT of the optic, then the optic should work for your application. 

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. The damage analysis will be carried out on a similar optic (customer's optic will not be damaged). Testing may result in additional costs or lead times. Contact Tech Support for more information.

Pulsed Lasers

As previously stated, pulsed lasers typically induce a different type of damage to the optic than CW lasers. Pulsed lasers often do not heat the optic enough to damage it; instead, pulsed lasers produce strong electric fields capable of inducing dielectric breakdown in the material. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to compare the LIDT specification of an optic to your laser. There are multiple regimes in which a pulsed laser can damage an optic and this is based on the laser's pulse length. The highlighted columns in the table below outline the relevant pulse lengths for our specified LIDT values.

Pulses shorter than 10-9 s cannot be compared to our specified LIDT values with much reliability. In this ultra-short-pulse regime various mechanics, such as multiphoton-avalanche ionization, take over as the predominate damage mechanism [2]. In contrast, pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s may cause damage to an optic either because of dielectric breakdown or thermal effects. This means that both CW and pulsed damage thresholds must be compared to the laser beam to determine whether the optic is suitable for your application.

Pulse Duration t < 10-9 s 10-9 < t < 10-7 s 10-7 < t < 10-4 s t > 10-4 s
Damage Mechanism Avalanche Ionization Dielectric Breakdown Dielectric Breakdown or Thermal Thermal
Relevant Damage Specification No Comparison (See Above) Pulsed Pulsed and CW CW

When comparing an LIDT specified for a pulsed laser to your laser, it is essential to know the following:

Energy Density Scaling

LIDT in energy density vs. pulse length and spot size. For short pulses, energy density becomes a constant with spot size. This graph was obtained from [1].

  1. Wavelength of your laser
  2. Energy density of your beam (total energy divided by 1/e2 area)
  3. Pulse length of your laser
  4. Pulse repetition frequency (prf) of your laser
  5. Beam diameter of your laser (1/e2 )
  6. Approximate intensity profile of your beam (e.g., Gaussian)

The energy density of your beam should be calculated in terms of J/cm2. The graph to the right shows why expressing the LIDT as an energy density provides the best metric for short pulse sources. In this regime, the LIDT given as an energy density can be applied to any beam diameter; one does not need to compute an adjusted LIDT to adjust for changes in spot size. This calculation assumes a uniform beam intensity profile. You must now adjust this energy density to account for hotspots or other nonuniform intensity profiles and roughly calculate a maximum energy density. For reference a Gaussian beam typically has a maximum energy density that is twice that of the 1/e2 beam.

Now compare the maximum energy density to that which is specified as the LIDT for the optic. If the optic was tested at a wavelength other than your operating wavelength, the damage threshold must be scaled appropriately [3]. A good rule of thumb is that the damage threshold has an inverse square root relationship with wavelength such that as you move to shorter wavelengths, the damage threshold decreases (i.e., a LIDT of 1 J/cm2 at 1064 nm scales to 0.7 J/cm2 at 532 nm):

Pulse Wavelength Scaling

You now have a wavelength-adjusted energy density, which you will use in the following step.

Beam diameter is also important to know when comparing damage thresholds. While the LIDT, when expressed in units of J/cm², scales independently of spot size; large beam sizes are more likely to illuminate a larger number of defects which can lead to greater variances in the LIDT [4]. For data presented here, a <1 mm beam size was used to measure the LIDT. For beams sizes greater than 5 mm, the LIDT (J/cm2) will not scale independently of beam diameter due to the larger size beam exposing more defects.

The pulse length must now be compensated for. The longer the pulse duration, the more energy the optic can handle. For pulse widths between 1 - 100 ns, an approximation is as follows:

Pulse Length Scaling

Use this formula to calculate the Adjusted LIDT for an optic based on your pulse length. If your maximum energy density is less than this adjusted LIDT maximum energy density, then the optic should be suitable for your application. Keep in mind that this calculation is only used for pulses between 10-9 s and 10-7 s. For pulses between 10-7 s and 10-4 s, the CW LIDT must also be checked before deeming the optic appropriate for your application.

Please note that we have a buffer built in between the specified damage thresholds online and the tests which we have done, which accommodates variation between batches. Upon request, we can provide individual test information and a testing certificate. Contact Tech Support for more information.


[1] R. M. Wood, Optics and Laser Tech. 29, 517 (1998).
[2] Roger M. Wood, Laser-Induced Damage of Optical Materials (Institute of Physics Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 2003).
[3] C. W. Carr et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 127402 (2003).
[4] N. Bloembergen, Appl. Opt. 12, 661 (1973).

In order to illustrate the process of determining whether a given laser system will damage an optic, a number of example calculations of laser induced damage threshold are given below. For assistance with performing similar calculations, we provide a spreadsheet calculator that can be downloaded by clicking the button to the right. To use the calculator, enter the specified LIDT value of the optic under consideration and the relevant parameters of your laser system in the green boxes. The spreadsheet will then calculate a linear power density for CW and pulsed systems, as well as an energy density value for pulsed systems. These values are used to calculate adjusted, scaled LIDT values for the optics based on accepted scaling laws. This calculator assumes a Gaussian beam profile, so a correction factor must be introduced for other beam shapes (uniform, etc.). The LIDT scaling laws are determined from empirical relationships; their accuracy is not guaranteed. Remember that absorption by optics or coatings can significantly reduce LIDT in some spectral regions. These LIDT values are not valid for ultrashort pulses less than one nanosecond in duration.

Intensity Distribution
A Gaussian beam profile has about twice the maximum intensity of a uniform beam profile.

CW Laser Example
Suppose that a CW laser system at 1319 nm produces a 0.5 W Gaussian beam that has a 1/e2 diameter of 10 mm. A naive calculation of the average linear power density of this beam would yield a value of 0.5 W/cm, given by the total power divided by the beam diameter:

CW Wavelength Scaling

However, the maximum power density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the maximum power density of a uniform beam, as shown in the graph to the right. Therefore, a more accurate determination of the maximum linear power density of the system is 1 W/cm.

An AC127-030-C achromatic doublet lens has a specified CW LIDT of 350 W/cm, as tested at 1550 nm. CW damage threshold values typically scale directly with the wavelength of the laser source, so this yields an adjusted LIDT value:

CW Wavelength Scaling

The adjusted LIDT value of 350 W/cm x (1319 nm / 1550 nm) = 298 W/cm is significantly higher than the calculated maximum linear power density of the laser system, so it would be safe to use this doublet lens for this application.

Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different Pulse Durations
Suppose that a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system is frequency tripled to produce a 10 Hz output, consisting of 2 ns output pulses at 355 nm, each with 1 J of energy, in a Gaussian beam with a 1.9 cm beam diameter (1/e2). The average energy density of each pulse is found by dividing the pulse energy by the beam area:

Pulse Energy Density

As described above, the maximum energy density of a Gaussian beam is about twice the average energy density. So, the maximum energy density of this beam is ~0.7 J/cm2.

The energy density of the beam can be compared to the LIDT values of 1 J/cm2 and 3.5 J/cm2 for a BB1-E01 broadband dielectric mirror and an NB1-K08 Nd:YAG laser line mirror, respectively. Both of these LIDT values, while measured at 355 nm, were determined with a 10 ns pulsed laser at 10 Hz. Therefore, an adjustment must be applied for the shorter pulse duration of the system under consideration. As described on the previous tab, LIDT values in the nanosecond pulse regime scale with the square root of the laser pulse duration:

Pulse Length Scaling

This adjustment factor results in LIDT values of 0.45 J/cm2 for the BB1-E01 broadband mirror and 1.6 J/cm2 for the Nd:YAG laser line mirror, which are to be compared with the 0.7 J/cm2 maximum energy density of the beam. While the broadband mirror would likely be damaged by the laser, the more specialized laser line mirror is appropriate for use with this system.

Pulsed Nanosecond Laser Example: Scaling for Different Wavelengths
Suppose that a pulsed laser system emits 10 ns pulses at 2.5 Hz, each with 100 mJ of energy at 1064 nm in a 16 mm diameter beam (1/e2) that must be attenuated with a neutral density filter. For a Gaussian output, these specifications result in a maximum energy density of 0.1 J/cm2. The damage threshold of an NDUV10A Ø25 mm, OD 1.0, reflective neutral density filter is 0.05 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 355 nm, while the damage threshold of the similar NE10A absorptive filter is 10 J/cm2 for 10 ns pulses at 532 nm. As described on the previous tab, the LIDT value of an optic scales with the square root of the wavelength in the nanosecond pulse regime:

Pulse Wavelength Scaling

This scaling gives adjusted LIDT values of 0.08 J/cm2 for the reflective filter and 14 J/cm2 for the absorptive filter. In this case, the absorptive filter is the best choice in order to avoid optical damage.

Pulsed Microsecond Laser Example
Consider a laser system that produces 1 µs pulses, each containing 150 µJ of energy at a repetition rate of 50 kHz, resulting in a relatively high duty cycle of 5%. This system falls somewhere between the regimes of CW and pulsed laser induced damage, and could potentially damage an optic by mechanisms associated with either regime. As a result, both CW and pulsed LIDT values must be compared to the properties of the laser system to ensure safe operation.

If this relatively long-pulse laser emits a Gaussian 12.7 mm diameter beam (1/e2) at 980 nm, then the resulting output has a linear power density of 5.9 W/cm and an energy density of 1.2 x 10-4 J/cm2 per pulse. This can be compared to the LIDT values for a WPQ10E-980 polymer zero-order quarter-wave plate, which are 5 W/cm for CW radiation at 810 nm and 5 J/cm2 for a 10 ns pulse at 810 nm. As before, the CW LIDT of the optic scales linearly with the laser wavelength, resulting in an adjusted CW value of 6 W/cm at 980 nm. On the other hand, the pulsed LIDT scales with the square root of the laser wavelength and the square root of the pulse duration, resulting in an adjusted value of 55 J/cm2 for a 1 µs pulse at 980 nm. The pulsed LIDT of the optic is significantly greater than the energy density of the laser pulse, so individual pulses will not damage the wave plate. However, the large average linear power density of the laser system may cause thermal damage to the optic, much like a high-power CW beam.


Posted Comments:
Hyesun Cha  (posted 2023-12-07 22:02:53.96)
I'm currently using this product in lab, and I found out that the beam that went through the attenuator shifts slightly whenever I rotate the rotating polarizer on this product. Is this a typical occasion?
cdolbashian  (posted 2023-12-15 09:10:28.0)
Thank you for reaching out to us with this observation. If the beam is shifting as you rotate, which I assume includes a precession over the full 360 degree rotation, it would appear that one of the planar elements either has a wedge within the glass, or is not mounted perfectly parallel to the other polarizer. The effect of which would be similar to a rotating tweaker plate, slightly displacing your beam. I have contacted you with some additional troubleshooting questions in order to determine the severity of this effect, the acceptability of it in your application, and the potential requirement of a return/exchange.

Polarizer Selection Guide

Thorlabs offers a diverse range of polarizers, including wire grid, film, calcite, alpha-BBO, rutile, and beamsplitting polarizers. Collectively, our line of wire grid polarizers offers coverage from the visible range to the beginning of the Far-IR range. Our nanoparticle linear film polarizers provide extinction ratios as high as 100 000:1. Alternatively, our other film polarizers offer an affordable solution for polarizing light from the visible to the Near-IR. Next, our beamsplitting polarizers allow for use of the reflected beam, as well as the more completely polarized transmitted beam. Finally, our alpha-BBO (UV), calcite (visible to Near-IR), rutile (Near-IR to Mid-IR), and yttrium orthovanadate (YVO4) (Near-IR to Mid-IR) polarizers each offer an exceptional extinction ratio of 100 000:1 within their respective wavelength ranges.

To explore the available types, wavelength ranges, extinction ratios, transmission, and available sizes for each polarizer category, click More [+] in the appropriate row below.

Wire Grid Polarizers
Film Polarizers
Beamsplitting Polarizers
Polarizer Type Wavelength Range Extinction Ratio Transmissiona Available Sizes
Polarizing Plate Beamsplitters 405 nm >10 000:1 Ø1" and 25 mm x 36 mm
532 nm
633 nm
780 nm
808 nm
1030 nm
1064 nm
1310 nm
1550 nm
Polarizing Bandpass Filters 355 nm +6 nm / -9 nm 1 000 000:1 25.2 mm x 35.6 mm
Broadband Polarizing Beamsplitter Cubes
(Unmounted, 16 mm Cage Cube, or 30 mm Cage Cube)
420 nm - 680 nm 1000:1e 5 mm, 10 mm, 1/2", 20 mmf, 1"f, and 2"
620 nm - 1000 nm
700 nm - 1300 nm
900 nm - 1300 nm
1200 nm - 1600 nm
Wire Grid Polarizing Beamsplitter Cubes
(Unmounted or 30 mm Cage Cube)
400 nm - 700 nm >1 000:1 (AOI: 0° - 5°)
>100:1 (AOI: 0° - 25°)
Graph Icon
P-Pol.


S-Pol.
1"f
Laser-Line Polarizing Beamsplitter Cubes
(Unmounted or 30 mm Cage Cube)
532 nm 3000:1 10 mm, 1/2", 1"f
633 nm
780 nm
980 nm 1"f
1064 nm 10 mm, 1/2", 1"f
1550 nm
High-Power Laser-Line Polarizing Beamsplitter Cubes (Unmounted or 30 mm Cage Cube) 355 nm 2000:1 1/2" and 1"f
405 nm
532 nm
633 nm
780 - 808 nm
1064 nm
High Extinction Ratio, High-Power, Broadband Polarizing Beamsplitter 700 nm - 1100 nm  > 1000:1 (700 - 1100 nm)
> 5000:1 (750 - 1000 nm)
 > 10 000:1 (800 - 900 nm)
12.7 mm
(Input/Output Face, Square)
900 nm - 1300 nm >1000:1 (900 - 1300 nm)
>10 000:1 (900 - 1250 nm)
>100 000:1 (980 - 1080 nm)
10 mm and 5 mm
(Input/Output Face, Square)
Calcite Beam Displacers 350 nmg - 2.3 µm (Uncoated) - 10 mmb
(Clear Aperture, Square)
Yttrium Orthovanadate (YVO4) Beam Displacers 488 nm - 3.4 µm (Uncoated) - >3 mm x 5 mm Ellipseh
(Clear Aperture)
2000 nm (V Coated)
alpha-BBO Polarizers
Calcite Polarizers
Quartz Polarizers
Magnesium Fluoride Polarizers
Yttrium Orthovanadate (YVO4) Polarizers
Rutile Polarizers
  • Click on the graph icons in this column to view a transmission curve for the corresponding polarizer. Each curve represents one substrate sample or coating run and is not guaranteed.
  • Mounted in a protective box, unthreaded ring, or cylinder.
  • Available unmounted or in an SM05-threaded (0.535"-40) mount that indicates the polarization axis.
  • Available unmounted or in an SM1-threaded (1.035"-40) mount that indicates the polarization axis.
  • PBS519: Average TP:TS > 1000:1
  • Available unmounted or mounted in cubes for cage system compatibility.
  • Calcite's transmittance of light near 350 nm is typically around 75% (see Transmission column).
  • Available unmounted or in an unthreaded Ø1/2" housing.
  • The transmission curves for calcite are valid for linearly polarized light with a polarization axis aligned with the mark on the polarizer's housing.
  • The 1064 nm V coating corresponds to a -C26 suffix in the item number.
  • Available unmounted or mounted in a protective box or unthreaded cylinder that indicates the polarization axis.
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Double Linear Polarizer Variable Attenuator

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PVAE1-A Support Documentation
PVAE1-AØ1" Double Linear Polarizer Variable Attenuator with N-BK7 Windows, 400-700 nm
$274.44
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