Quick Shot

The 40-in. coating chamber in the Optical Manufacturing (OMAN) group has been configured to produce coatings by glancing-angle deposition (GLAD). These electron-beam evaporated coatings condense on the surface of the substrate at a high angle of incidence, forming a birefringent film with an oriented columnar structure. By translating the substrate behind an aperture, the surface may be patterned with coated regions of quarter- and half-wave plates. Such a component enables spatially varying manipulation of incident polarization. Vern Gruschow and Jim Oliver of OMAN are shown with a 2-in test sample coated in the system along with the insert showing the film structure.