Are my dual coax cables interchangeable?
Yes. If your PEM has 2 dual coax cables instead of one blue triax head to head cable, the 2 cables are interchangeable….
News & Events
Can I use my electronic head in a vacuum?
The electronics are not meant to be operated in a vacuum. The optical head itself contains no electronics and is safe to use in a vacuum. We can provide you with longer head to head cables so that the electronic head is not in the vacuum. Please click here to look at Hinds PEM vacuum…
Can I use my electronic head with a different optical head?
No. The PEM is a resonant device, with the resonant frequency being determined by the size of the optical assembly. In spite of very tight manufacturing tolerances, each optical head is slightly different in size and this results in a slightly different frequency. The controller, electronic head, and optical head are all calibrated to work…
How close can my electronic head be to a magnetic field?
Based on our testing, we recommend that the magnetic field strength at the electronic head and controller be no more than 100 gauss field. We provide an MFC option for PEMs that includes an 8 ft (244 cm) head to head cable which allows removing the electronic head and controller from a magnetic field….
Can a PEM be used to provide a steady retardation level (can they be used as static waveplates)?
As the name would suggest, a PEM provides polarization modulation, that is, a changing retardation that follows a sinusoidal pattern. As such, applications that need a steady retardation level are not well suited for PEMs….
Can I use my optical head with a different controller than it came with?
Yes, but it will require recalibration. The PEM is a resonant device, with the resonant frequency being determined by the size of the optical assembly. In spite of very tight manufacturing tolerances, each optical assembly is slightly different in size and this results in a slightly different frequency. The controller, electronic head, and optical head…
What is the maximum laser power I can use with my PEM?
The maximum laser power is determined by the PEM optical material required for your application. If the laser is powerful enough to damage the material from which the optical assembly is made, then it cannot be used with a PEM. This is seldom a problem, however if you have a question about your particular laser,…
What are my options for minimizing modulated interference effects (using my PEM with a laser)?
When PEMs are used with lasers as light sources, modulated interference effects may occur. These manifest themselves in the form of spurious signals at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies of the PEM. Modulated interference is not a problem with any light source other than lasers. This effect is caused by multiple reflections of the light…
I ONLY want right and left circular light. Can you help me?
All PEMs are capable of generating left and right circularly polarized light. In the case of the Hinds I/FS50 PEM, you would be able modulate light in a continuously varying fashion between left-circular and right-circular at a frequency of 50 kHz. The PEM modulates polarization as the function: f(t) = A*cos(wt), where w = 2π *50kHz….
What spectral range do Hinds’ PEMs cover?
Hinds manufactures over a dozen standard PEM models. Collectively, they cover the range from 130 nm – 57µm….
How long is the stationary acoustic wave in the optical element?
Photoelastic modulators are resonant devices which produce oscillating birefringence. The optical bar shaped element vibrates along its long dimension at a frequency determined by the length of the bar and the speed of a longitudinal sound wave in the optical element material. In other words, a free standing acoustic vibration mode is used, of acoustic…
Are PEMs thermally stable?
PEMs have a feedback circuit to help control thermal stability. In addition, we recommend a 15 minute warm up time for the PEM to reach resonance equilibrium and stabilize before measurements are taken. However, if there is a rapid or large change in ambient temperature, it is possible there will be a slight drift associated…
What are the advantages of PEMs over other forms of polarization modulation?
PEMs have several unique features such as wide spectral range, large aperture, wide acceptance angle, and high precision of phase modulation. The PEM is typically used for fast, high sensitivity measurements. Fused silica PEM optical elements are isotropic when no stress is applied (as contrasted with Pockels cells and electro-optic modulators). This gives the PEM a…
How Does My Optical Head Work?
The basic principle of operation of the PEM is the photoelastic effect. A mechanically stressed sample exhibits birefringence proportional to the strain caused by the induced stress. As such, the PEM can be described as a birefringence modulator. Light moves along one axis faster than another because, as a result of resonating the optic, birefringence…
How does the PEM work?
The PEM is a resonant device whose precise oscillating frequency is determined by the physical properties of the optical element/transducer assembly. The electronic head, optical head and the cables that connect them make up a circuit that operates like a crystal-controlled oscillator circuit. The PEM controller controls the amplitude of the PEM oscillations and generates…
International Representation in China and South Korea
Hinds Instruments Announces New Dealers in China and Korea October 12, 2009. Hinds Instruments, Inc., a global leader in the development of technology and products for polarization measurement, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new dealers to its network of international sales and service partners. Zugo Photonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., with sales and…
New PER/ER polarization extinction ratio system for QC Labs
The Polarization Extinction Ratio system is an easy-to-use, highly sensitive instrument for measuring both polarizaton extinction ratio (PER) and extinction ratio (ER). Recently introduced by Hinds Instruments, the system is useful for characterizing polarization optics to an extinction ratio of about 106. Conversion between ER and PER modes is easily accomplished with a lever that…
New Research Grade, High Value Lock-in Amplifier for PEM Applications
The Signaloc™ 2100 Lock-In Amplifier is an AC and DC signal recovery instrument including the proprietary Hinds Instruments Lock-In Amplifier module and control display software. It is optimized for use with Hinds Photoelastic Modulators (PEMs). Users may now modulate signals with the Hinds PEM and demodulate with another Hinds product that has been optimized for this use. …
R&D 100 Award for Two Modulator Generalized Ellipsometer
Revolutionary instrument measures diattenuation of pyrocarbon layers within a TRISO nuclear fuel particle Hillsboro, Oregon, September 10, 2008 – Hinds Instruments, a leading global supplier of photoelastic modulators (PEMs), today announced it was awarded a 2008 R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine for its Two Modulator Generalized Ellipsometry Microscope (2-MGEM) Optical Anisotropy Factor Measurement System….
Hinds and Oak Ridge National Lab collaborate to introduce 2-MGEM OPTAF System
ITU Taps Hinds Instruments And Oak Ridge National Labs For Advanced Technique To Characterize TRISO Fuel The 2-MGEM Optical Anisotropy Factor Measurement System is faster, more repeatable and collects more data than previous measurement techniques Hillsboro, Oregon, July 8, 2008 – Hinds Instruments, a leading global supplier of photoelastic modulators (PEMs), today announced the Institute…