Polarimetry using liquid crystal variable retarders

Thomas F. Drouillard II; Paul A. Searcy; Scott R. Davis; Radoslaw J. Uberna; Richard A. Herke; Michael H. Anderson; Scott D. Rommel; Eric B. Anthony; Valeria B. Damiao

doi:10.1117/12.524604

25 June 2004 Polarimetry using liquid crystal variable retarders

Thomas F. Drouillard II, Paul A. Searcy, Scott R. Davis, Radoslaw J. Uberna, Richard A. Herke, Michael H. Anderson, Scott D. Rommel, Eric B. Anthony, Valeria B. Damiao

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5363, Emerging Optoelectronic Applications; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.524604
Event: Integrated Optoelectronic Devices 2004, 2004, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

A new technology for performing high-precision Stokes polarimetry is presented. One traditional Stokes polarimetry configuration relies on mechanical devices such as rapidly rotating waveplates that are undesirable in vibration-sensitive optics experiments. Another traditional technique requires division of a light signal into four components that are measured individually; this technique is limited to applications in which signal levels are sufficient that intensity reduction does not diminish the signal-to-noise ratio. A new technology presented here is similar to the rotating waveplate approach, but two liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVR’s) are used instead of waveplates. A Stokes polarimeter instrument based on this technology has been made commercially-available. The theory of operation is detailed, and an accuracy assessment was conducted. Measurement reproducibility was verified and used to produce empirical estimates of uncertainty in measured components of a Stokes vector. Uncertainty propagation was applied to polarization parameters calculated from Stokes vector components to further the accuracy assessment. A calibrated polarimeter measures four Stokes components with 10^-3 precision and average predicted uncertainties less than ±2x10^-3. An experiment was conducted in which the linear polarization angles were measured with a LC polarimeter and with a photodiode for comparison. Observed discrepancies between polarization angle measurements made with a polarimeter and those made with a photodetector were nominally within ±0.3°.

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Thomas F. Drouillard II, Paul A. Searcy, Scott R. Davis, Radoslaw J. Uberna, Richard A. Herke, Michael H. Anderson, Scott D. Rommel, Eric B. Anthony, and Valeria B. Damiao "Polarimetry using liquid crystal variable retarders", Proc. SPIE 5363, Emerging Optoelectronic Applications, (25 June 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.524604

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