Electro-optic properties of ITO at a tilted quarter-wave-plate

Abstract

The indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin film is widely used in liquid crystal displays and silicon solar cells owing to its superior electrical and optical properties, which can be affected by external conditions. In this study, the optical properties of the ITO film were examined using stokes polarimeters and slit beam profiler under an external direct current voltage (EDCV) and a tilted quarter-wave plate (QWP). The results indicated that the Stokes parameters and degree of polarization of the laser beam that passes through the ITO film are mainly affected by the angle of the tilted QWP, which cannot be affected by the EDCV. Further, the transmittance of the ITO film decreased from 93.80% to 47.20%, as the EDCV increased from 0 V to 3.0 V, and the tilted QWP remained fixed at an angle. The Goos–Hänchen and Imbert–Fedorov shifts of the laser beam showed opposite trends when the EDCV increased from 0 V to 3.0 V and the angle of the tilted QWP changed from −5°to +5°.