Right Angle Prisms are essential optical components, expertly designed for precise beam deviation and retro-reflection. Unlike traditional plane mirrors, these prisms offer superior ease of mounting and alignment, making them a preferred choice in various optical setups. Their unique geometry allows for high throughput, especially when the hypotenuse is utilized in total internal reflection (TIR). By ensuring the entrance and exit surfaces are anti-reflection coated, the prisms can efficiently reflect an incident beam at a 90° angle, resulting in inverted images.

The versatility of Right Angle Prisms extends to external reflection applications as well. In such cases, the hypotenuse can be coated with either a metal or dielectric high reflectance coating, enhancing its reflective capabilities. Furthermore, these prisms are adept at retro-reflection, where a beam entering perpendicular to the hypotenuse is reflected by the legs and exits parallel to its original path. This feature is particularly valuable in applications requiring precise beam alignment.

For scenarios where internal reflection is necessary but field angle requirements exceed TIR acceptance limits, or if environmental conditions challenge the cleanliness needed for TIR, a metal or dielectric coating on the hypotenuse offers an effective solution. This adaptability ensures that Right Angle Prisms meet diverse optical requirements while maintaining high performance and reliability.