Full polarization states modulating via an ultra-thin quarter-wave plate

Abstract

We theoretically and numerically demonstrate a design of an ultra-thin quarter-wave plate (QWP) based on plasmonic metasurface. With the designed QWP, the ellipticity of the output light can be generalized as X $$=$$ 2sin( $$\theta )$$ cos( $$\theta )$$ , providing a convenient way to calculate the polarization states of the output light. With such a strategy, output lights with any desired polarization states including linear, circular and especially elliptical can be obtained by adjusting the incident polarization angle $$\theta $$ . The Jones vector is adopted to theoretically explore the underlying physics of polarization conversion. Moreover, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations are utilized to verify the theoretical results. These results will deepen our understanding of polarization conversion and provide helpful guidelines in designing ultra-thin polarization-dependent devices.