Types and applications of Dove prism

Dove prism In optical devices, a piece of glass or other transparent material cut at a precise angle and plane can be used to analyze and reflect light. Ordinary triangular prisms can separate white light into its constituent colors, called frequency spectrum. Each color or wavelength that makes up white light is bent or refracted, but the amount is different. Shorter wavelengths (wavelengths toward the purple end of the spectrum) bend the most, while longer wavelengths (wavelengths toward the red end of the spectrum) bend the least. This type of prism is used in some spectroscopes, instruments that analyze light and determine the identity and structure of materials that emit or absorb light.

Dove prism refracts light to reflect (reflective prism), disperse (dispersive prism) or split (beam splitter) light. The prism is usually made of glass, but any material can be used as long as the material is transparent and suitable for the design wavelength. Common materials include glass, plastic and fluorite.

Dove prism can reverse the direction of light through internal reflection, so they are useful in binoculars.

Depending on the application, Dove prism can be made into many different forms and shapes. For example, the Porro prism is composed of two prisms. The two prisms can invert the image as well as the image, and are used in many optical observation instruments, such as periscopes, binoculars and monoculars.