Lyot Depolarizers

Consisting of two quartz waveplates bonded together, Lyot Depolarizers are passive optical components that transform polarized or partially polarized light into non-polarized (unpolarized) light. The thickness ratio of the two waveplates is 2:1. They are positioned such that their optical axes are oriented 45° apart, creating various degrees of elliptically and linearly polarized light, and eliminating the polarization of the input beam.

Note: Lyot Depolarizers are not suitable for monochromatic light.

Lyot Depolarizers are designed for polychromatic light from 200 – 2300nm. Each Lyot Depolarizer features a minimum wavelength bandwidth of 50nm, which represents approximately 85% depolarization. A bandwidth of greater than 100nm is required for complete depolarization.