Abstract

Wave plates are used in laser applications to manipulate the state of polarization of optical radiation. The OMEGA Upgrade at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, a 60 beam Nd:glass laser system currently under construction, requires 60 wave plates with circular clear apertures of 180 mm and 105 wave plates with circular dear apertures of 115 mm. Large-aperture, high quality solid crystalline wave plates are both difficult to obtain and extremely expensive. The liquid-crystal wave plate (LCW) offers an alternative, being conveniently fabricated from two precision polished optical flats and an inexpensive nematic liquid-crystal fluid. Important issues for the manufacture of this device are fabrication to required specifications and laser-damage resistance.

© 1993 Optical Society of America