Corner Cube Retroreflector
Corner Cube Retroreflector
A corner cube retroreflector, also known as a CCR or trihedral prism, is an optical component with a unique property: it reflects an incoming beam of light back toward its source, regardless of the angle at which the light enters. This alignment-insensitive behavior makes corner cube prisms highly valuable in applications where precise beam return is required without critical positioning.
Corner cube retroreflectors consist of three adjacent, mutually-orthogonal plane-reflecting surfaces that form the corner of a cube. The entrance face is perpendicular to the cube’s diagonal. When light enters this face, it undergoes three reflections on the 90° surfaces and exits parallel to its original direction, deviated by exactly 180 degrees. This retroreflection occurs independently of prism and beam orientations, with precision limited only by the accuracy of the 90° angles between reflecting surfaces.
At Star Optics, we manufacture corner cube retroreflectors in BK7, H-K9L, and UV-grade fused silica, with dimensions ranging from 2mm to 80mm. Our high precision grade achieves 90° deviation tolerance below 3 arc seconds and surface flatness of λ/4, meeting the demands of interferometric and aerospace applications.
Specifications：
| Parameter | General Spec. | High Precision Spec. |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Optical glass (H-K9L, BK7), Fused silica | |
| Dimension | 2mm ~ 80mm | |
| Dimension Tolerance | ±0.1mm | ±0.02mm |
| 90° Deviation Tolerance | < 3 arc min | < 3 arc sec |
| Surface Flatness @ 633nm | λ/2 | λ/4 |
| Surface Quality | 60-40 | 20-10 |
| Coating | Upon customer’s request | |
Applications
Spectroscopy: Corner cube prisms precisely redirect light in spectrometers and interferometers, enabling accurate spectral analysis in chemistry, astronomy, and materials science.
Satellites: Retroreflectors placed on satellites allow ground-based laser ranging for precise orbit determination. These measurements support plate tectonics research and ocean surface topography monitoring.
Battlefield Technology: Corner cubes enable range finding for weapons systems, providing accurate distance measurements independent of target orientation.
Displacement Measurement: In precision metrology, corner cube retroreflectors serve as reference elements in laser interferometer systems for machine tool calibration and dimensional inspection.
Customization
Star Optics offers corner cube retroreflectors tailored to your specific requirements. Custom sizes, materials, and coatings are available. Each retroreflector is inspected to ensure it meets specified tolerances for 90° deviation and surface quality.
Contact us to discuss your application requirements or request a quotation.
