Abstract
Four types of polarizers are experimentally evaluated and compared for the uniformity of their transmission axis orientations and the contrast ratio and their spatial variation. Representative samples of calcite Glan-Thompson polarizers, polarizing beamsplitters, silver glass polarizers, and stretched polymer polarizers are characterized at 850 nm using a rotating polarizer imaging polarimeter. The sample Glan-Thompson polarizers show the highest contrast ratios and greatest uniformity of transmission axis. Silver glass polarizers and stretched polymer polarizers show intermediate contrast ratios, but all samples of both show a systematic variation of the transmission axis orientation with a magnitude of several tenths of a degree. The polarizing beamsplitter cube samples have very good uniformity of transmission axis but the smallest contrast ratios with noticeable spatial variations of contrast.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1569-1573 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- General Engineering