Right-Angle Prism

A right-angle prism is a transparent optical element bounded by three mutually intersecting planar surfaces, none of which are parallel to each other. It is commonly used for beam steering or spectral dispersion. Prisms are multi-faceted solid bodies fabricated from transparent optical materials—such as K9 glass or fused silica—and serve as fundamental components in optical systems. The faces through which light enters and exits are termed the “working faces,” while the plane perpendicular to these faces is known as the “principal section.” Based on the geometry of the principal section, prisms are categorized into types including triangular prisms, right-angle prisms, pentagonal prisms, and others.