Abstract

A novel type of polarizer is introduced. These polarizers have high extinction-ratio, high transmission, and high laser damage threshold, hence they could be used in high power laser systems. The polarizers are shaped like a regular penta prism, thus they are a device of a constant angular deviation. The polarization effects occur upon the two internal reflections in the prism. Two types of polarizer are introduced: isotropic and unisotropic. The isotropic polarizer is made of high index refraction glass, coated with dielectric multilayer thin film systems. Due to the two internal cascade reflections, both the p- and s-rays have a high extinction ratio. The unisotropic polarizer is made of a birefringent crystal where angular polarization splitting is obtained from the bireflectance (double reflection) effect. In a prism made of a biaxial crystal, fanning of a laser beam into two to eight polarized beams is possible. These polarizers can be used in the UV, visible, and IR spectral regions. Theoretical considerations and examples are introduced and discussed.

© 1991 Optical Society of America