Polymer Vortex Retarders VR32-532

The LBTEK Vortex Retarder (VR) is fabricated using N-BK7 glass substrates and Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) materials, featuring a sandwich structure of "front and rear glass substrates with an intermediate LCP functional layer," and is mounted in a standard SM1 lens tube.

In the LCP layer, the fast-axis orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is uniformly aligned along the radial direction of the substrate and continuously varies along the angular direction. The device exhibits a uniform λ/2 retardation across the entire plane, making it a single-wavelength component.

The vortex retarder possesses polarization-dependent optical characteristics. With different polarization states of the incident beam, it can generate vector-polarized beams or vortex beams with spiral phase fronts, converting TEM00-mode Gaussian beams into hollow "doughnut-shaped" intensity distributions.

Compared to traditional methods of optical field modulation, the vortex retarder offers high efficiency, stability, ease of operation, and dedicated functionality. Its true zero-order characteristic also contributes to low wavelength sensitivity, high temperature stability, and a wide range of incident angles.

Key Features

• Liquid Crystal Polymer/N-BK7 window plate, sandwich flat structure, with mechanical housing
• Polarization-dependent, applicable for generating vector polarized beams and vortex beams
• Highly efficient and stable, easy to operate, specialized function, large incident angle
• Operating wavelength λ: 405–1550 nm, order m: 1–128
• Flexible customization of parameter specifications available

m=32 Series

The LC molecules' fast axis orientation of the LBTEK m=32 vortex waveplate rotates 180°×32 within a 360° central angle along the substrate's azimuthal direction, with its morphology under linearly polarized light shown in the figure. The m=32 vortex waveplate is suitable for incident light with diameters ranging from Ø1 mm to Ø12 mm. When illuminated with circularly polarized light, it can generate Laguerre-Gaussian beams with l=±32; under linearly polarized light, it produces higher-order vector polarized beams. The smaller the selected order m, the smaller the central hole size of the beam. On the standard SM1 lens tube housing, the product name and model are labeled, with four engraved lines marking the center point.

• Applicable to incident light with dimensions Ø1 to Ø12 mm
• Capable of generating Laguerre-Gaussian beams with l=±32
• Capable of generating higher-order vector polarized beams