Interferometric Optics



Multiple-Prism Beam Expanders



Multiple-prism beam expanders are unique beam magnification means which expand a light beam without focusing it and... with the added option of achromaticity. Our experience with these wondrous prismatic arrays began in 1980 (F. J. Duarte and J. A. Piper, A double-prism beam expander for pulsed dye lasers, Opt. Commun. 35, 100-104 (1980)) and has continued to expand ever since. Applications are found in:

  • Astronomy
  • Interferometry
  • Intracavity beam expansion
  • Extracavity beam expansion
  • Microscopy
    Multiple-prism beam expanders designed either in additive or compensating dispersive configuration. Beam expansion factors greater than 200 (M > 200) are feasible depending on the input aperture. Input parameters include: laser wavelength, input aperture, beam expansion factor, transmission efficiency, required physical length of the multiple-prism array. Option 1: design only. Option 2: design plus US made multiple-prism array. Representative multiple-prism beam expander specifications are available in PDF form.



    Note: the principles of the multiple-prism beam expanders mentioned here are described in F. J. Duarte, Tunable Laser Optics (Elsevier-Academic, New York, 2003) (see Chapters 4 and 6). These particular multiple-prism beam expanders are depicted in Fig. 6.15 which includes various architectures in additive and compensating configurations.




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    Published on the 15th of June, 2006; updated on the 7th of February, 2007.