Overview of Waveplates
Friday, 23 December, 2016
Before delving into what micro prisms are, it is important to understand the concept of a prism in optics. It is essentially a transparent optical element having polished, flat, angled surfaces that refract or reflect light. The correct angles between the surfaces are dependent on the application. The triangular prism with rectangular sides and a triangular base is its simplest geometric shape. However, not all optical prisms are of this shape. Typical materials used for making prisms include glass, fluorite and plastic.
Some of the common uses of prisms include breaking up light into its elemental spectral colors, reflecting light, or splitting light into constituents with varied polarizations. Now that we’ve described what a prism is, let’s move on to its micro variant. A micro prism is a small prism which can be used for optical equipment and optical communication.
Micro prisms are available in both coated and uncoated forms and can be used with imaging applications and laser sources. There are many different types ranging from Penta and Dove prisms to Roof, Right Angle, and others. The Right Angle Prisms are used for deflecting a light beam 180° or 90°. The orientation of images viewed through it depends on the orientation and number of bounces off of the prism’s faces.
Both coated and uncoated micro prisms have their individual uses. For instance, you can use coated prisms as first-surface mirror reflectors with regard to incoming light. On the other hand, uncoated prisms can be used as mirrors for light incident normal (perpendicular) to one of the faces since the light is totally reflected at 45 degrees internal incidence
It can be an arduous task to manufacture very small micro prisms . They require unique skills and special capabilities. The company manufacturing them has to have access to proprietary technologies and vast technical knowledge in order to produce the best quality micro prisms having outstanding edge sharpness and surface quality.
If you are looking for a precision optical manufacturer, you should decide on Tower Optical. This precision optics manufacturer is proficient in making coated as well as uncoated micro prisms in 9 standard sizes at competitive prices. Since they have recently developed a new e-commerce website, you can conveniently place your order and expect that most products can be shipped overnight. They also offer you the liberty to make custom orders as per your needs and requirements. All these reasons make Tower Optical a convenient and cost-effective choice for procuring micro prisms.
