Retroreflection Prisms are used in applications where precision alignment is difficult or tedious. Retroflection Prisms reflect incident light back to the light source no matter the orientation of the Retroreflection Prism. Unlike an Optical Mirror, which needs to be at the normal angle of incidence in order to reflect light back to the source, a Retroreflection Prism can be oriented in any position so long as the light is hitting the entrance face. A Retroreflection Prism utilizes several total internal reflections to enable it to operate at even the most extreme angles of incidence.

Edmund Optics’ offers mounted and unmounted Retroreflection Prisms in a range coating options. Reflective surfaces are available with reflection coatings including Aluminum or Silver. Entrance surfaces are available with VIS 0° anti-reflection coatings. Due to their complex shape, mounting a Retroflection Prism can be difficult. To ease system integration, Mounted Retroreflection Prisms featuring ¼-20 tapped holes are available.