My PEM is not providing stable retardation and/or there is noise if I look at my signal on an oscilloscope. What could be wrong?

There are several possibilities. A list of questions to begin troubleshooting is:

  • What is your optical and electronic setup?
  • What is the light source you are using and the wavelength or wavelengths (in particular, are you using a laser)?
  • What detector are you using?
  • When the PEM is operating, is the limit light off, on steady or flashing? If it is flashing, what is the approximate time interval between flashes?
  • What is the operating frequency of the PEM? You may take this from the controller, but if you have a separate frequency meter, this is preferable.

Please Contact Us with the answers to these questions.