Laser-induced damage thresholds of starched PMMA waveplates

A. Melninkaitis; D. Mikšys; M. Maciulevičius; V. Sirutkaitis; G. Šlekys; A. V. Samoylov

doi:10.1117/12.696271

15 January 2007 Laser-induced damage thresholds of starched PMMA waveplates

A. Melninkaitis, D. Mikšys, M. Maciulevičius, V. Sirutkaitis, G. Šlekys, A. V. Samoylov

Proceedings Volume 6403, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2006; 640325 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.696271
Event: Boulder Damage Symposium XXXVIII: Annual Symposium on Optical Materials for High Power Lasers, 2006, Boulder, Colorado, United States

Abstract

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.

Citation Download Citation

A. Melninkaitis, D. Mikšys, M. Maciulevičius, V. Sirutkaitis, G. Šlekys, and A. V. Samoylov "Laser-induced damage thresholds of starched PMMA waveplates", Proc. SPIE 6403, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2006, 640325 (15 January 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.696271

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