Custom optical wedges

Optical Wedges and Wedged Windows, Made in Rye

Kingsview Optical makes custom optical wedges to your drawing: wedge prisms that deviate a beam by a set angle, and wedged windows that steer ghost reflections out of your system. We polish the wedge angle on precision angle jigs, coat the faces in our own chambers and check every angle on an autocollimator.

  • Made in Rye, East Sussex
  • Angles checked by autocollimator
  • Coated in-house
  • ISO 9001:2015
Send Your Prism Drawing See the Specification
Round optical wedge prisms made by Kingsview Optical in Rye, UK
Round wedge prisms, polished in Rye.
Prisms made here, start to finish. Shaped, polished, coated, cemented and measured at our site in Rye.
See how we make them →
The basics

What an Optical Wedge Does

In short: an optical wedge is a flat optic with its two faces at a small angle to each other. A wedge prism bends a beam by a fixed angle. A wedged window passes the beam almost undeviated while sending the reflection from its second face off in a different direction.

For a thin wedge, the beam deviation is roughly (n − 1) times the wedge angle, where n is the refractive index of the glass. So a wedge of a few degrees in optical glass bends the beam by a couple of degrees. That fixed deviation is used to aim a beam, offset a line of sight, or correct a small pointing error.

In a window with perfectly parallel faces, the reflections from the two faces overlap the main beam. With coherent light this causes interference fringes and etalon effects, and in imaging systems it causes ghost images. A small wedge angle sends the second reflection off to the side, where it can be blocked.

Two wedges rotated against each other make a Risley prism pair for beam steering. For windows with parallel faces, see our optical windows page.

Optical wedge: the beam is deviated towards the thicker side.
Beam deviationδδ ≈ (n − 1) αWedged windowGhost reflection steered away
Wedges deviate a beam, or steer ghost reflections away.
Applications

Where Our Optical Wedges Are Used

Beam deviationBending a laser beam or line of sight by a set angle.
Ghost and etalon suppressionWedged windows and beamsplitters that keep second-surface reflections out of the beam.
Laser systemsWedged output windows and pick-off optics.
Pointing correctionCorrecting small boresight errors in sights and sensors.
Beam steeringSingle elements for Risley pairs and scanning optics.
InterferometryWedged plates that avoid unwanted fringes.
Specification

Optical Wedge Specification

These are our standard tolerances. If your design needs tighter, tell us which parameter. We'll tell you plainly whether we can hold it, and what it adds to cost.

Size rangeSmall wedges for compact instruments up to over 100mm
Dimension tolerance±0.1mm
Angle tolerance±3 arcmin standard, tighter on request
Wedge angleTo your design, ±3 arcmin standard, tighter on request
ShapesRound, rectangular or custom outlines from your STEP file
Flatnessλ/4 @ 633nm
Surface quality (scratch-dig)60/40 standard, 40/20 on request
MaterialsSchott, Ohara and CDGM optical glass; UV fused silica
CoatingsBroadband AR (standard 425 to 650nm, wider on request), wide-angle AR, V-coat, MgF2, custom designs
FinishingBlackened edges, protective chamfers, steps, bevels, drilled holes

Not sure what to specify? For beam deviation, tell us the deviation you need and the wavelength, and we'll calculate the wedge angle. For a wedged window, a small wedge is usually enough; tell us how far the ghost reflection needs to move.

Options

Made to Fit Your System

CoatingsAR on both faces for your wavelength, or partial reflectors for wedged beamsplitters
Edge featuresProtective chamfers, steps, bevels and blackened faces, CNC shaped to suit your mount
Mounts and housingsPrism mounts and housings from our own machine shop Cementing and assemblyWedges cemented into achromatic elements, or fitted into mounts
Questions

Optical Wedge Questions

How much does an optical wedge deviate a beam?
For a thin wedge, the deviation is about (n − 1) times the wedge angle. In common optical glass with n around 1.5, the beam bends by about half the wedge angle. Send the deviation and wavelength you need and we'll calculate the wedge angle for your glass.
What is a wedged window for?
A wedged window has a small angle between its faces so the reflection from the second face leaves at a different angle from the main beam. It prevents interference fringes and etalon effects with lasers, and ghost images in imaging systems.
What wedge angle tolerance can you hold?
Our standard angle tolerance is ±3 arcmin, and we can go tighter on request. We polish wedges on precision angle jigs and check the angle on an autocollimator.
What is the difference between an optical wedge and a Risley prism?
A single wedge gives a fixed deviation. A Risley prism is two wedges that rotate against each other, so the beam can be steered anywhere within a cone.
Can you make round wedges?
Yes. We make round, rectangular and custom-shaped wedges, CNC edged from your drawing or STEP file.
What do you need to quote an optical wedge?
A drawing with the outline, thickness at the thick or thin edge, wedge angle and tolerance, plus the glass, coatings and quantities.

Other Prisms We Manufacture

Right angle Penta Roof Dove Risley Optical wedges PSPolarizing cubes

Or see our full optical prism manufacturing capability, and our optical design service if you need help choosing or designing a prism.

Getting a Quote for Optical Wedges

Send us your prism drawing. An engineer from the team that would make your prisms, not a sales team, will review it. They'll tell you plainly what's achievable and what will drive cost.

What to send

  • Drawing (PDF or ISO 10110) with dimensions and angles
  • Glass type, or the wavelength range if you're not sure
  • Wedge angle and tolerance, or the deviation you need
  • Outline and thickness
  • Coating and wavelength range
  • Quantities: prototypes and expected production volumes

What happens next

  1. An engineer reviews itWithin one working day, flagging anything that will drive cost or lead time.
  2. We quote the prismFor the prototype, and for production at your volumes.
  3. We make, measure and deliverAll in Rye, with inspection data if you need it.
Start Your RFQ

Need a Custom Optical Wedge?

Send your drawing, or describe what the prism needs to do. We'll tell you plainly how we'd make it, what it will cost and how long it will take.

Send Your Prism Drawing Call 01797 226202
Made in Rye, East Sussex. NDA-friendly. Defence and security work welcome. ISO 9001:2015.