Pellin Broca Prism


  • Ideal for Wavelength Separation of a Beam of Light
  • Selected Wavelength Deviated by 90°

ADBU-20

ADB-10

Application Idea

ADB-10 Mounted on a
PRMTZ8 Motorized Rotation Stage

Related Items


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Common Specifications

  • Dimensional Tolerances: ±0.2 mm
  • Angular Tolerances: ±3 min
  • Surface Flatness: λ/8
  • Surface Quality: 20-10 Scratch Dig

Pellin Broca Prism Drawing

Item # A B H Φ
ADB-10 19.0 mm 33.0 mm 11.0 mm 78° 26'
ADB-20 38.0 mm 66.0 mm 22.0 mm 78° 26'
ADBU-10 19.0 mm 33.0 mm 11.0 mm 78° 26'
ADBU-20 38.0 mm 66.0 mm 22.0 mm 78° 26'
ADBV-10 19.0 mm 33.0 mm 11.0 mm 78° 26'

Features

  • Ideal for Wavelength Seperation of a Beam of Light
  • Selected Wavelength Deviated by 90°

Pellin Broca Prisms can be used to separate the harmonics of a laser beam or compensate for group velocity dispersion. The light enters and exits the prism near Brewster's angle, which minimizes reflection losses in P-polarized light. Since the beam undergoes one total internal reflection before exiting the prism, the angle between the input and exit beams is 90° plus a small angle due to dispersion. The dispersion is less for longer wavelengths.

Pellin Broca Prism Schematic

As the prism is rotated about point R in the figure to the right, the wavelength of light that is deviated by 90° changes even though the geometry and relative positions of the input and output beams remains unchanged.

Zemax Files
Click on the red Document icon next to the item numbers below to access the Zemax file download. Our entire Zemax Catalog is also available.
Optic Cleaning Tutorial
Item # Material Design Spectrum
λlow to λhighb		 Angular Separation Between
λlow & λhigh		 Brewster's Angle θB
for λlow to λhigh		 Distance D
(Rotation Point)		 Aperture
(Square)
ADB-10 N-BK7a 380 nm - 2.5 μm 5.42° 56.1° - 56.9° 16.1 mm 10 mm
ADB-20 N-BK7a 380 nm - 2.5 μm 5.42° 56.1° - 56.9° 32.2 mm 20 mm
ADBU-10 UV Fused Silicaa 190 - 425 nm 11.47° 55.7° - 57.4° 16.1 mm 10 mm
ADBU-20 UV Fused Silicaa 190 - 425 nm 11.47° 55.7° - 57.4° 32.2 mm 20 mm
ADBV-10 Calcium Fluoridea 180 - 250 nm 5.23° 55.7° - 56.6° 16.1 mm 10 mm
  • Click Link for Detailed Specifications on the Substrate Glass
  • While the prisms were designed for these wavelengths, they can be used outside of these ranges.

Selection Guide for Prisms

Thorlabs offers a wide variety of prisms, which can be used to reflect, invert, rotate, disperse, steer, and collimate light. For prisms and substrates not listed below, please contact Tech Support.

Beam Steering Prisms

Prism Material Deviation Invert Reverse or Rotate Illustration Applications
Right Angle Prisms N-BK7, UV Fused Silica, Calcium Fluoride, or Zinc Selenide 90° 90° No 1

90° reflector used in optical systems such as telescopes and periscopes.
180° 180° No 1

180° reflector, independent of entrance beam angle.

Acts as a non-reversing mirror and can be used in binocular configurations.
TIR Retroreflectors
(Unmounted and Mounted)
and Specular Retroreflectors
(Unmounted and Mounted)		 N-BK7 180° 180° No Retroreflector

180° reflector, independent of entrance beam angle.

Beam alignment and beam delivery. Substitute for mirror in applications where orientation is difficult to control.
Unmounted Penta Prisms
and
Mounted Penta Prisms		 N-BK7 90° No No 1

90° reflector, without inversion or reversal of the beam profile.

Can be used for alignment and optical tooling.
Roof Prisms N-BK7 90° 90° 180o Rotation 1

90° reflector, inverted and rotated (deflected left to right and top to bottom).

Can be used for alignment and optical tooling.
Unmounted Dove Prisms
and
Mounted Dove Prisms		 N-BK7 No 180° 2x Prism Rotation 1

Dove prisms may invert, reverse, or rotate an image based on which face the light is incident on.

Prism in a beam rotator orientation.
180° 180° No 1

Prism acts as a non-reversing mirror.

Same properties as a retroreflector or right angle (180° orientation) prism in an optical setup.
Wedge Prisms N-BK7 Models Available from 2° to 10° No No 1

Beam steering applications.

By rotating one wedged prism, light can be steered to trace the circle defined by 2 times the specified deviation angle.
No No Wedge Prism Pair

Variable beam steering applications.

When both wedges are rotated, the beam can be moved anywhere within the circle defined by 4 times the specified deviation angle.
Coupling Prisms Rutile (TiO2) or GGG Variablea No No Coupling Prism

High index of refraction substrate used to couple light into films.

Rutile used for nfilm > 1.8

GGG used for nfilm < 1.8
  • Depends on Angle of Incidence and Index of Refraction


Dispersive Prisms

Prism Material Deviation Invert Reverse or Rotate Illustration Applications
Equilateral Prisms F2, N-SF11, Calcium Fluoride,
or Zinc Selenide		 Variablea No No

Dispersion prisms are a substitute for diffraction gratings.

Use to separate white light into visible spectrum.
Dispersion Compensating Prism Pairs Fused Silica, Calcium Fluoride, SF10, or N-SF14 Variable Vertical Offset No No Dispersion-Compensating Prism Pair

Compensate for pulse broadening effects in ultrafast laser systems.

Can be used as an optical filter, for wavelength tuning, or dispersion compensation.

 
Pellin Broca Prisms N-BK7,
UV Fused Silica,
or Calcium Fluoride		 90° 90° No 1

Ideal for wavelength separation of a beam of light, output at 90°.

Used to separate harmonics of a laser or compensate for group velocity dispersion.
  • Depends on Angle of Incidence and Index of Refraction

Beam Manipulating Prisms

Prism Material Deviation Invert Reverse or Rotate Illustration Applications
Anamorphic Prism Pairs N-KZFS8 or
N-SF11		 Variable Vertical Offset No No 1

Variable magnification along one axis.

Collimating elliptical beams (e.g., laser diodes)

Converts an elliptical beam into a circular beam by magnifying or contracting the input beam in one axis.
Axicons UV Fused Silica
or Zinc Selenide		 Variablea No No 1

Creates a conical, non-diverging beam with a Bessel intensity profile from a collimated source.
  • Depends on Prism Physical Angle

Polarization Altering Prisms

Prism Material Deviation Invert Reverse or Rotate Illustration Applications
Glan-Taylor, Glan-Laser, and α-BBO Glan-Laser Polarizers Glan-Taylor:
Calcite

Glan-Laser:
α-BBO or Calcite		 p-pol. - 0°

s-pol. - 112°a		 No No Glan-Taylor Polarizer

Double prism configuration and birefringent calcite produce extremely pure linearly polarized light.

Total Internal Reflection of s-pol. at the gap between the prism while p-pol. is transmitted.
Rutile Polarizers Rutile (TiO2) s-pol. - 0°

p-pol. absorbed by housing		 No No Rutile Polarizer Diagram

Double prism configuration and birefringent rutile (TiO2) produce extremely pure linearly polarized light.

Total Internal Reflection of p-pol. at the gap between the prisms while s-pol. is transmitted.

 
Double Glan-Taylor Polarizers Calcite p-pol. - 0°

s-pol. absorbed by housing		 No No Glan-Taylor Polarizer

Triple prism configuration and birefringent calcite produce maximum polarized field over a large half angle.

Total Internal Reflection of s-pol. at the gap between the prism while p-pol. is transmitted.
Glan Thompson Polarizers Calcite p-pol. - 0°

s-pol. absorbed by housing		 No No Glan-Thompson Polarizer

Double prism configuration and birefringent calcite produce a polarizer with the widest field of view while maintaining a high extinction ratio.

Total Internal Reflection of s-pol. at the gap between the prism while p-pol. is transmitted.
Wollaston Prisms and
Wollaston Polarizers		 Quartz, Magnesium Fluoride, α-BBO, Calcite, Yttrium Orthovanadate Symmetric
p-pol. and
s-pol. deviation angle		 No No Wollaston Prism

Double prism configuration and birefringent calcite produce the widest deviation angle of beam displacing polarizers.

s-pol. and p-pol. deviate symmetrically from the prism. Wollaston prisms are used in spectrometers and polarization analyzers.
Rochon Prisms Magnesium Fluoride
or
Yttrium Orthovanadate		 Ordinary Ray: 0°

Extraordinary Ray: deviation angle		 No No

Double prism configuration and birefringent MgF2 or YVO4 produce a small deviation angle with a high extinction ratio.

Extraordinary ray deviates from the input beam's optical axis, while ordinary ray does not deviate.
Beam Displacing Prisms Calcite 2.7 or 4.0 mm Beam Displacement No No Beam Displacing Prism

Single prism configuration and birefringent calcite separate an input beam into two orthogonally polarized output beams.

s-pol. and p-pol. are displaced by 2.7 or 4.0 mm. Beam displacing prisms can be used as polarizing beamsplitters where 90o separation is not possible.
Fresnel Rhomb Retarders N-BK7 Linear to circular polarization

Vertical Offset		 No No Fresnel Rhomb Quarter Wave

λ/4 Fresnel Rhomb Retarder turns a linear input into circularly polarized output.

Uniform λ/4 retardance over a wider wavelength range compared to birefringent wave plates.
Rotates linearly polarized light 90° No No Fresnel Rhomb Half Wave

λ/2 Fresnel Rhomb Retarder rotates linearly polarized light 90°.

Uniform λ/2 retardance over a wider wavelength range compared to birefringent wave plates.
  • S-polarized light is not pure and contains some P-polarized reflections.

Beamsplitter Prisms

Prism Material Deviation Invert Reverse or Rotate Illustration Applications
Beamsplitter Cubes N-BK7 50:50 splitting ratio, 0° and 90°

s- and p- pol. within 10% of each other		 No No Non-polarizing Beamsplitter

Double prism configuration and dielectric coating provide 50:50 beamsplitting nearly independent of polarization.

Non-polarizing beamsplitter over the specified wavelength range.
Polarizing Beamsplitter Cubes N-BK7, UV Fused Silica, or N-SF1 p-pol. - 0°

s-pol. - 90°		 No No Polarizing Beamsplitter Cube

Double prism configuration and dielectric coating transmit p-pol. light and reflect s-pol. light.

For highest polarization use the transmitted beam.

Posted Comments:
jon.freeman  (posted 2016-01-13 11:01:15.14)
What is the angular tolerance of the "fine ground" sides to the polished faces -we want to use the prism as an angular reference
besembeson  (posted 2016-01-18 10:31:55.0)
Response from Bweh at Thorlabs USA: I will contact you with this information please.
tcohen  (posted 2012-03-09 13:30:00.0)
Response from Tim at Thorlabs: We are able to offer custom coatings on some of our optics. I have contacted you directly to get more information.
michael.renner  (posted 2012-03-07 10:12:12.0)
Do you also offer a coated version of ADB-10 when working with s-polarized light (antireflection between 420 - 580nm)?
Based on your currency / country selection, your order will ship from Newton, New Jersey  
+1 Qty Docs Part Number - Universal Price Available
ADB-10 Support Documentation
ADB-10Pellin Broca Prism, 10 mm Square Aperture, N-BK7
$74.66
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ADB-20 Support Documentation
ADB-20Pellin Broca Prism, 20 mm Square Aperture, N-BK7
$112.54
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ADBU-10 Support Documentation
ADBU-10Pellin Broca Prism, 10 mm Square Aperture, UV Fused Silica
$124.44
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ADBU-20 Support Documentation
ADBU-20Pellin Broca Prism, 20 mm Square Aperture, UV Fused Silica
$280.27
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ADBV-10 Support Documentation
ADBV-10Pellin Broca Prism, 10 mm Square Aperture, CaF2
$248.89
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Additional Optical Prisms
  • Right-Angle Prisms

  • Unmounted Dove Prisms

  • Mounted Dove Prisms

  • Roof Prisms

  • Retroreflector Prisms

  • Unmounted Penta Prisms

  • Mounted Penta Prisms

  • Coupling Prisms

  • Wedge Prisms

  • Anamorphic Prism Pairs

  • Hexagonal Light Mixing Rod

  • Rotationally Symmetric Prisms, UVFS

  • Rotationally Symmetric Prisms, ZnSe

  • Equilateral Dispersing Prisms

  • Dispersion Compensation Prism Pairs

  • Pellin Broca Prisms

  • Fresnel Rhombs