Abstract
In this work, we performed a Mueller matrix imaging analysis of two commercial optical components usually employed to generate and manipulate vector beams—a radial polarizer and a liquid-crystal q-plate. These two elements generate vector beams by different polarization mechanisms—polarizance and retardance, respectively. The quality of the vector beams relies on the quality of the device that generates them. Therefore, it is of interest to apply the well-established polarimetric imaging techniques to evaluate these optical components by identifying their spatial homogeneity in diattenuation, polarizance, depolarization, and retardance, as well as the spatial variation of the angles of polarizance and retardance vectors. For this purpose, we applied a customized imaging Mueller matrix polarimeter based on liquid-crystal retarders and a polarization camera. Experimental results were compared to the numerical simulations, considering the theoretical Mueller matrix. This kind of polarimetric characterization could be very helpful to the manufacturers and users of these devices.
Highlights
Liquid crystals (LC) are employed in a myriad of photonic applications because of their unique electro-optic properties
We apply an imaging polarimetry-based approach to verify the homogeneity of a segmented radial polarizer and two continuous liquid-crystal q-plate retarders through the decomposition of their Mueller matrices and the calculation of the diattenuation, polarizance, depolarization, and
It is important to know the quality of these commercial polarizing elements that generate vector beams
Summary
Liquid crystals (LC) are employed in a myriad of photonic applications because of their unique electro-optic properties. While display applications are certainly the most popular ones, the development of LC-based photonic components, such as optical filters, switches, waveguides, spatial light modulators, and retarders, are essential to perform manipulation of light [1]. LC retarders are included in polarimetry systems, due to their variable optical retardance, upon application of a voltage, avoiding mechanical rotation of the mounts. Besides achieving automatic polarization control and reducing the instrumental error, its retardance value can be tuned as a function of wavelength, extending polarimetry to a broad wavelength range [2]. Biomedical applications [6], including improvement of fundus images for ophthalmic diagnoses [7]. Mueller matrix (MM) polarimetric imaging is a very powerful technique that is widely used nowadays in many different areas like astronomy [3], remote sensing [4], materials characterization [5]
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