Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a versatile polymeric material that is well suited for fabrication of many commercial optical components: lenses, fibers, windows, phase waveplates and others. Our focus is achromatic zero-order waveplates made of anisotropic PMMA which can be used to modify the state of polarization of electromagnetic radiation. Such waveplates have a broad range of application in devices where polarized radiation is used. For example, when tunable lasers are used or when spectropolarimetric measurements are performed, one needs an achromatic waveplate providing a specific retardation in a wide wavelength range. Herewith anisotropic properties of PMMA subjected to one-axis stretching are analyzed and the technology for manufacturing such achromatic and super-achromatic, one-axis-stretched PMMA waveplates is described. This technology excludes any mechanical processing of waveplate component surfaces. Technical characteristics of achromatic and super-achromatic waveplates manufactured of PMMA including results of laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) measurements are discussed below.

Date Published: 15 January 2007
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6403, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2006, 640325 (15 January 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.696271

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6403:
Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2006
Gregory J. Exarhos; Arthur H. Guenther; Keith L. Lewis; Detlev Ristau; M. J. Soileau; Christopher J. Stolz, Editor(s)