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A White gloved hand holding an example of Acrylic Quarter Wave & Half Wave Retarders | American Polarizers, Inc.

Acrylic Quarter Wave, Half Wave & Full Wave Plates

API quarter wave, half wave, and full waveplates (retarders) are single layer polycarbonate films for great performance and clarity. A waveplate is a birefringent material that alters (retards) the polarization state or phase of light traveling through it.

Our wave retarders feature uniform birefringence, very low haze, good environmental stability and excellent wide-angle view performance. API also laminates our polymer wave retarder films to glass for increased durability and optical performance.

  • 1/4 wave, 1/2 wave and full wave
  • Excellent clarity and uniform birefringence
  • Custom shapes and sizes
  • High performance near achromatic quarter wave plate available

Want to learn more? See how waveplates and retarders work.

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