A Glan–Taylor prism is a type of

prism Prism usually refers to: * Prism (optics), a transparent optical component with flat surfaces that refract light * Prism (geometry), a kind of polyhedron Prism may also refer to: Science and mathematics * Prism (geology), a type of sedimentary ...

which is used as a

polarizer A polarizer or polariser is an optical filter that lets light waves of a specific polarization pass through while blocking light waves of other polarizations. It can filter a beam of light of undefined or mixed polarization into a beam of well ...

or polarizing

beam splitter A beam splitter or ''beamsplitter'' is an optical device that splits a beam of light into a transmitted and a reflected beam. It is a crucial part of many optical experimental and measurement systems, such as interferometers, also finding wide ...

. It is one of the most common types of modern polarizing prism. It was first described by Archard and Taylor in 1948. The prism is made of two right-angled prisms of

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

(or sometimes other birefringent materials) separated on their long faces with an air gap. The optical axes of the calcite crystals are aligned parallel to the plane of reflection.

Total internal reflection Total internal reflection (TIR) is the optical phenomenon in which waves arriving at the interface (boundary) from one medium to another (e.g., from water to air) are not refracted into the second ("external") medium, but completely reflected b ...

of ''s''-polarized light at the air gap ensures that only ''p''-polarized light is transmitted by the device. Because the angle of incidence at the gap can be reasonably close to Brewster's angle, unwanted reflection of ''p''-polarized light is reduced, giving the Glan–Taylor prism better transmission than the Glan–Foucault design. Note that while the transmitted beam is completely polarized, the reflected beam is not. The sides of the crystal can be polished to allow the reflected beam to exit or can be blackened to absorb it. The latter reduces unwanted Fresnel reflection of the rejected beam. A variant of the design exists called a Glan–laser prism. This is a Glan–Taylor prism with a steeper angle for the cut in the prism, which decreases reflection loss at the expense of reduced angular field of view. These polarizers are also typically designed to tolerate very high beam intensities, such those produced by a

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

. The differences may include using calcite selected for low scattering loss, improved polish quality on the faces and especially on the sides of the crystal, and better antireflection coatings. Prisms with

irradiance In radiometry, irradiance is the radiant flux ''received'' by a ''surface'' per unit area. The SI unit of irradiance is the watt per square metre (W⋅m−2). The CGS unit erg per square centimetre per second (erg⋅cm−2⋅s−1) is often used ...

damage thresholds greater than 1 GW/cm² are commercially available.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glan-Taylor prism Polarization (waves) Prisms (optics)

See also

References