Infrared Optical Polarizers
Last Updated: April 1, 2025
Description
Infrared optical polarizers are specialized optical components designed to manipulate the polarization state of infrared light. They typically consist of structures such as wire grids that selectively transmit or block specific polarizations of light, allowing only the desired polarization to pass through.
Working Principle
Infrared optical polarizers, such as wire grid polarizers, operate by utilizing an array of metallic lines with sub-wavelength pitch supported by a transparent substrate. These structures are effective in manipulating infrared light due to their ability to transmit light polarized perpendicular to the wire orientation while reflecting light polarized along the wire orientation. This selective transmission and reflection enable the separation and control of different polarization states, making them highly useful in various optical applications.
Applications
Infrared optical polarizers are widely used in applications such as imaging, displays, sensors, communications, and scientific instrumentation. For example, in thermal infrared applications, wire grid polarizers are employed to enhance image contrast and reduce glare in infrared cameras. They are also used in scientific instruments to analyze the polarization properties of infrared light in research settings.
Advantages over other Optical Polarizers
Wire grid polarizers are particularly advantageous for infrared applications due to their short optical path and large acceptance angles. This makes them suitable for use in compact optical systems where space is limited. Additionally, their ability to handle a wide range of wavelengths, including mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR), provides versatility over other types of polarizers that may not perform as well in these spectral regions.
Limitations
One of the limitations of existing wire grid polarizers designed for long-wavelength thermal infrared applications is their relatively low contrast between the transmission of linearly polarized light in the passing and blocking configurations. This is often due to the relatively large wire grid pitch, which can affect the polarizer's performance in certain applications.
Considerations
When considering the use of infrared optical polarizers, factors such as initial costs, operating expenses, durability, accuracy, and maintenance costs should be taken into account. The initial cost may vary depending on the complexity and materials used in the polarizer's construction. Operating expenses can be influenced by the polarizer's efficiency and the need for additional components to achieve desired performance. Durability is an important consideration, especially in harsh environments where the polarizer may be exposed to extreme temperatures or mechanical stress. Accuracy in polarization control is crucial for applications requiring precise measurements. Lastly, replacement and maintenance costs should be evaluated, as these can impact the long-term economic feasibility of using infrared optical polarizers in specific applications.
from CRYSTECH, Inc.
CRYSTECH is dedicated to manufacturing high precision thin film polarizer for solid-state laser systems. We have over 20 years of experience in polarizers manufacturing, design, and coating. We provide these polarizers with the material of BK7, fused silica, and other glass raw material. CRYSTECH... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Surface Quality: 10-5 Scratch / Dig
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
A polarizer is a device that produces linearly polarized light from other states of polarization. Glan-Taylor polarizer consists two calcite prisms which are separated by an air space. Glan-Taylor polarizers will divide an entering unpolarized beam into two rays; one is the extraordinary ray that is... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 4000
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Linear Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 6 to 10
from Electro Optical Components, Inc.
For a given plate thickness a low order waveplate will operate as a quaterwave, halfwave and full wave plate at different wavelengths. By selecting the thickness it is possible to achieve a dual order plate giving for example, halfwave retardation at 1064 nm and fullwave retardation at 532 nm. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 532
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
Glan-Taylor Polarizers are also called Glan laser polarizers. The polarizers are specially designed for high energy applications. The housing sides are drilled with two holes. An ordinary ray is reflected through at an angle and exits the polarizers through one of the holes. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 3500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Linear Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 6 to 15
from Electro Optical Components, Inc.
The Glan-Taylor polarizer produces a high extinction ratio polarizer with low reflection losses and a high power handling capability. It is therefore particularly useful for polarizing laser light, with the further advantages that there is no transmission deviation or offset, and that a wide... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 2500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 10 to 20
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
Multiple order waveplates are made from a single crystalline plate, which are designed to give a retardance of several full waves, plus the desired fraction. Multiple order waveplates are more susceptible to change in wavelength and they should not be used more than several nanometers outside of... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Polarizer Features: Anti-Reflection Coating
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Surface Quality: 20-10 Scratch / Dig
from Electro Optical Components, Inc.
Glan-Thompson cemented prism polarizers of calcite give the largest aperture field angle product of all calcite polarizer designs and the lowest transmission losses. The cemented interface, however, prevents their use with high power lasers. Applications include spectral polarimetry and general... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 2300
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 10 to 20
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
Rochon polarizers separate incident beams into ordinary rays and extraordinary rays, like a Wollaston polarizer, but the extraordinary ray is transmitted straight through, while the ordinary ray is transmitted with a deviation angle. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 4000
- Optical Polarizer: Linear Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 8 to 15
from Electro Optical Components, Inc.
These retardation plates use high optical damage threshold crystal quartz. They are orientated with the optic axis in the plane of the plate and light polarized at 45 ° to the quartz optic axis is resolved into two equal amplitude components that suffer a relative phase retardation due to their... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 220 to 2800
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Clear Aperture: 10 to 30
from CeNing Optics Co., Ltd.
Wollaston polarizers can separate an incident beam into two rays - extraordinary and ordinary - with a deviation angle that is dependent on wavelength. Both rays are transmitted through the other surface. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 4000
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Linear Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 8 to 15
from Electro Optical Components, Inc.
Wollaston Type. Wollaston prism polarizing beam splitters consist of two equal angle calcite prisms optically coupled with optic axis orthogonally crossed to the direction of propagation. The beam separation of about 20 ° is then approximately balanced about the input beam axis. The transmission... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 320 to 2500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 10 to 20
from American Polarizers, Inc.
Linear polarizers are used in a wide variety of applications. A linear polarizer is an excellent solution in applications that require glare reduction due to reflected light. Camera filters, sunglasses, machine vision systems greatly benefit from the use of a linear polarizer. A linear polarizer can... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared
- Wavelength Range: 1000 to 2000
- Optical Polarizer: Linear Polarizer
- Extinction Ratio: 1.00E-3
from Ross Optical Industries
This polarizer is a variation of the Glan-Taylor polarizer with a steep angle for the cut in the prism, which reduces reflection loss at the expense of decreased field of view. It is specially designed and manufactured for high energy application such as laser system. The optical materials exhibit... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 200 to 270
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Laser Polarizer
- Extinction Ratio: 5.00E-6
from Rainbow Research Optics, Inc.
Your One-Stop Source for Polarizer Optics. From prototype to production, Rainbow Research Optics, Inc. (RROI) manufactures and delivers precision grade and commercial quality polarizer optics and beamsplitters to address applications in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and infrared (IR)... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Polarizer Features: Anti-Reflection Coating
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Surface Quality: 10-5 Scratch / Dig; 20-10 Scratch / Dig
from Foctek Photonics, Inc.
The low(multiple) order waveplate is designed to give a retardance of several full waves, plus the desired fraction. This result in a single, physically robust component with desired performance. However, even small changed in wavelength or temperature will result in significant changes in the... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 266 to 1550
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Polarizer Features: Anti-Reflection Coating
from MOXTEK, Inc.
IR Polarizers. The BIR Infrared Series polarizers are designed for applications that use infrared wavelengths between 700nm and 2500nm. High Contrast and High Transmission are the two polarizer types for the Infrared wavelengths. These polarizers cover the full wavelength range from 700nm to 2500nm. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 700 to 2500
- Optical Polarizer: Linear Polarizer
- Polarizer Features: Broadband
from Qioptiq
Retardations: λ/2 and λ/4. Three different broad wavelength ranges. Cemented. Mounted versions fit to Microbench. Transmission > 86 %. Uncoated; coating available on request. Surface flatness: λ/4 at 633 nm (over clear aperture). Surface quality: 40-20 (5/ 2 x 0.16 according... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 400 to 1600
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Transmittance: 86
from Ross Optical Industries
A Glan-Taylor polarizer produces linearly polarized light. It ’s made of a pair of right angle prisms which are separated on their hypotenuses with an air gap. The optical axes of the optical crystals are aligned parallel to the plane of reflection. S-polarized light encounters a total... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 200 to 270
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Linear Polarizer
- Extinction Ratio: 5.00E-6
from Foctek Photonics, Inc.
Polarization rotators offer 45deg or 90deg rotation at a number of common laser wavelength, the optical axis in a polarization rotator is perpendicular to the polished face of the optic. The result is that the orientation of in put linearly polarized light is rotated as it propagates through the... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 440 to 1660
- Optical Polarizer: Polarization Rotator
- Surface Quality: 20-10 Scratch / Dig
from MOXTEK, Inc.
Pixelated Polarizers. Moxtek ® has added versatility to polarization applications with development of Pixelated polarizers, designed using Moxtek Nanowire ® Technology. These patterned polarizers are available as two, three and four-state devices for polarimetric imaging. Polarization helps... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 300 to 5000
- Optical Polarizer: Linear Polarizer
from Qioptiq
Composed of a symmetric arrangement of three air-spaced (uncemented) calcite prisms. Extremely large extinction ratios. Large angular fields of view. Mounted, fits to Microbench. Transmits over the range 250 - 2300 nm. Length / aperture ratio = 1.8. Uncoated [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 250 to 2300
- Optical Polarizer: Circular Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 12
from Ross Optical Industries
This type of polarizer is made of two cemented right angle prisms. The s-polarized extraordinary beam is transmitted while the ordinary beam is reflected. The prisms provide larger field of view than the Glan-Taylor type. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 200 to 3500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Linear Polarizer
- Extinction Ratio: 5.00E-6
from Foctek Photonics, Inc.
This DQW series of depolarizer consists of a crystalline quartz wedge together with a compensating fused silica wedge to correct the angular deviation. The optic axis of the quartz wedge lies in the plane of the wedge and at 45 deg to the input polarization. The result is then a variable... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 220 to 2600
- Optical Polarizer: Depolarizer
- Clear Aperture: 9 to 25.4
from MOXTEK, Inc.
Ultra Broadband polarizer ’s are designed to offer an excellent solution for almost any multi-wavelength application. The wide-band characteristics of this polarizer, enables a wide range of products and technologies. Performance begins at 300nm and works well throughout the visible and... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 300 to 4000
- Optical Polarizer: Linear Polarizer
- Polarizer Features: Broadband
from Qioptiq
Composed of two cemented calcite prisms with their optical axes aligned parallel to their hypotenuse faces. Extremely large extinction ratios. Angular fields are larger than those of Glan-Taylor prisms. Angular field symmetric about prism assembly axis. Virtually no deviation of extraordinary ray. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 350 to 2300
- Optical Polarizer: Circular Polarizer
- Clear Aperture: 8
from Ross Optical Industries
A Rochon polarizer separates incident beams into ordinary and extraordinary like some other polarizers; however the p-polarization is transmitted straight through while the s-polarization is transmitted with a deviation angle. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 3500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Rochon
- Extinction Ratio: 5.00E-6
from Foctek Photonics, Inc.
This type of zero order waveplate is constructed of a true zero order waveplate and a BK7 substrate. As the waveplate is very thin and easy to be damaged, the Bk7 plate's function is to strengthen the waveplate. Cemented by Epoxy. Wide Angle Acceptance. Better Temperature Bandwidth. Wide Wavelength... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 532 to 1550
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Polarizer Features: Anti-Reflection Coating
from Qioptiq
These polarizing beamsplitter cubes are derived from a unique combination of Ion-Beam-Sputtering coatings, ultraprecise fabrication capabilities and the patent-pending, epoxy-free bonding technology -Chemically Activated Direct Bonding ™ which results in a zero-bondline thickness. Optical... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Extinction Ratio: 500 to 1000
- Wavelength Range: 355 to 1064
- Transmittance: 95
from Ross Optical Industries
A Wollaston polarizer has wider field of view than other birefringent polarizers. The two prisms are cemented together. Both ordinary and extraordinary beams transmit through the prism, however, at a deviation angle of 15 ° to 45 ° depending on the wavelength. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 190 to 3500
- Optical Polarizer: Calcite Polarizer; Bi-refingent
- Extinction Ratio: 5.00E-6
from Foctek Photonics, Inc.
This useful instrument introduces a variable rotation between 0 ° and 90 ° to an input plane polarized beam. The rotation angle is controlled by a manually driven precision micrometer. Calibration scales are supplied to enable any desired rotation to be set for a given wavelength of... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 230 to 1100
- Optical Polarizer: Polarization Rotator
- Clear Aperture: 10
from Qioptiq
For 450 - 550 nm, 550 - 700 nm, and 700 - 900 nm (TSWP 800). Over-all transmission of the cubes Tp ≥ 90 %, typical Tp ≥ 95 %. Broadband ARB2 coatings. 8' angular beam deflection tolerance. Damage thresholds: > 2 kW/cm2 cw (488/514 nm). Damage thresholds: > 200 mJ/cm2 for pulses of 10 ns... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Extinction Ratio: 1500 to 2000
- Wavelength Range: 450 to 900
- Transmittance: 95
from Ross Optical Industries
The low (multiple) order waveplate is designed to give a retardance of several full waves, plus the desired fraction. This results in a single, physically robust component with desired performance. However, even small changes in wavelength or temperature will result in significant changes in the... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 266 to 1550
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Beam Deviation: 1
from Qioptiq
Made of crystal quartz. Antireflective coating (R < 0.2 % at central wavelength). Wavefront distortion: λ/8 (at 632.8 nm). Surface quality: 2 x 0.063 (20/10 scratch and dig). Parallelism better than 1". Retardation tolerance λ/500 (typical). Type S: Single plate (multiple order). [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 488 to 1064
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Clear Aperture: 9 to 19
from Ross Optical Industries
Made of a single quartz plate that is very thin, true zero order waveplates are provided either by themselves as a single plate for high damage threshold applications (greater than 1 GW/cm2), or as a cemented plate on a BK7 substrate to provide strength. [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible
- Wavelength Range: 532 to 1550
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Surface Flatness: λ/4
from Ross Optical Industries
The zero order waveplate is designed to give a retardance of zero full waves, plus the desired fraction. Zero Order Waveplates show better performance than multiple order waveplates. They show a broader bandwidth and a lower sensitivity to temperature and wavelength changes and should be considered... [See More]
- Polarizer Application: Infrared; Visible; Ultraviolet
- Wavelength Range: 266 to 1550
- Optical Polarizer: Waveplate / Retardation Plate
- Beam Deviation: 1