The low (multiple) order waveplate is designed to give a retardance of several full waves, plus the desired fraction. This result in a single, physically robust component with desired performance. However, even small changed in wavelength or temperature will result in significant changes in the desired fractional retardance. 
 

Attribute	Specification
Material	Quartz
Typical Diameter (Φmm)	10.0, 12.7, 15.0, 20.0, 25.4, 30.0
Diameter Tolerance (mm)	+0.0/-0.2
Wavefront Distortion	λ/8@633nm
Retardation Tolerance	<λ/300 (General), <λ/500 (High Precision)
Parallelism	<3arc second.(General) , <1 arc second .(High Precision)
Surface Quality	20/10
Clear Aperture	Central 90%
Coating	<0.2% @wavelength