Abstract

A novel method for rapid polarization measurement is suggested. The method is based on a periodic space-variant polarizer that can be realized by use of subwavelength metal-stripe gratings. The Stokes parameters of the incident beam are determined by Fourier analysis of the space-variant intensity transmitted through the grating, thus permitting real-time polarization measurement. We discuss the design and realization of such polarizers and demonstrate our technique with polarization measurements of ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$-laser radiation at a wavelength of $10.6 \mu \mathrm{m}$.

© 2001 Optical Society of America

Computer-generated space-variant polarization elements with subwavelength metal stripes

Ze’ev Bomzon, Vladimir Kleiner, and Erez Hasman
Opt. Lett. 26(1) 33-35 (2001)

Real-time analysis of partially polarized light with a space-variant subwavelength dielectric grating

Ze’ev Bomzon, Gabriel Biener, Vladimir Kleiner, and Erez Hasman
Opt. Lett. 27(3) 188-190 (2002)

Pancharatnam–Berry phase in space-variant polarization-state manipulations with subwavelength gratings

Ze’ev Bomzon, Vladimir Kleiner, and Erez Hasman
Opt. Lett. 26(18) 1424-1426 (2001)

Near-field Fourier transform polarimetry by use of a discrete space-variant subwavelength grating

Gabriel Biener, Avi Niv, Vladimir Kleiner, and Erez Hasman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20(10) 1940-1948 (2003)

Space-variant polarization manipulation for far-field polarimetry by use of subwavelength dielectric gratings

Yuri Gorodetski, Gabriel Biener, Avi Niv, Vladimir Kleiner, and Erez Hasman
Opt. Lett. 30(17) 2245-2247 (2005)