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calcite prisms are now rarely used. The YVO4 version doesn't suffer the same defects. |
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[[Image:Glan-foucault.png|frame|right|A Glan-Foucault prism deflects ''p''-polarized light, transmitting the ''s''-polarized component. The optical axis of the prism material is perpendicular to the plane of the diagram.]]
A '''Glan-Foucault prism''' (also called a '''Glan-air prism''') is a type of [[prism (optics)|prism]] which is used as a [[polarizer]]. It is similar in construction to a [[Glan-Thompson prism]], except that two right-angled [[calcite]] prisms are spaced with an air-gap instead of cemented together.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Jean M . |editor=Bass, Michael, Ed. |title=Handbook of Optics Volume II |edition=2nd ed. |year=1995 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |isbn=0-07-047974-7 |pages=
Compared to the Glan-Thompson prism, the Glan-Foucault has a narrower acceptance angle over which it will work, but because it uses an air-gap rather than cement, much higher [[irradiance]]s can be used without damage. The prism can thus be used with [[laser]] beams. The prism is also shorter (for a given usable aperture) than the Glan-Thompson design, and the deflection angle of the rejected beam can be made close to 90°, which is sometimes useful. Glan-Foucault prisms are not typically used as polarizing beamsplitters because while the transmitted beam is 100% polarized, the reflected beam is not.
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