Patent ID: 7460230

Claim:
A system for introducing a relative phase retardation into orthogonally polarized components of an electromagnetic beam entered thereinto, said system consisting of at least two sequential elements oriented with respect to one another such that said entered electromagnetic beam undergoes total internal reflection at least once in each of the at least two elements; the sequence, orientation, geometry, and symmetry of the elements being such that the output beam position is substantially undeviated by a translation of the system, and the output beam angle is substantially undeviated by a rotation of the system; said system being further characterized by at least one selection made from the group consisting of: at least one of the sequential elements has a mechanism for translating and/or tilting the element, for the purpose of aligning the system such that the output beam is substantially undeviated from said input beam; at least one of the sequential elements has a coating upon a surface thereof at which internal reflection of a beam of electromagnetic radiation occurs, said coating having a different refractive index than does the material from which said corresponding element is comprised; at least one of the sequential elements has a coating upon a surface thereof through which a beam of electromagnetic radiation enters or exist, said coating having a different refractive index than does the material from which said corresponding element is comprised; there is present an additional sequential multiple wedge system in said system for introducing a relative phase retardation into orthogonally polarized components of an electromagnetic beam, wherein one said wedge can be rotated with respect to another thereof and/or both wedge can be rotated simultaneously, for the purpose of aligning the system such that the output beam is substantially undeviated from said input beam.