Infrared Brewster-angle polarizing beam splitter using a high-index prism with a small wedge angle

Specular reflection at the Brewster angle by a planar surface of a high-refractive-index transparent substrate is an effective means of generating linearly polarized light in the infrared. However, in such a reflection linear polarizer, the refracted light beam is usually dumped. In this paper we de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied optics (2004) 2017-04, Vol.56 (11), p.3020-3021
Main Author: Azzam, R M A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antireflection coatings
Beam splitters
Beams (radiation)
Lead tellurides
Nanostructure
Polarization
Prisms
Wedges
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Summary:Specular reflection at the Brewster angle by a planar surface of a high-refractive-index transparent substrate is an effective means of generating linearly polarized light in the infrared. However, in such a reflection linear polarizer, the refracted light beam is usually dumped. In this paper we describe a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) that uses a high-index prism with a small wedge angle to generate two orthogonally p and s linearly polarized beams that travel in orthogonal directions. A single-layer antireflection coating (ARC) at the exit face of the prism can be embedded with aligned Ag nano needles to suppress the transmission of the small, residual, s-polarized refracted component. An example of such PBS that uses a PbTe prism with ZnSe ARC in the mid-infrared is presented.
ISSN:1559-128X
2155-3165
DOI:10.1364/AO.56.003020