Creating vortex retarders using photoaligned liquid crystal polymers

We present developments using photoaligned liquid crystal polymers for creating vortex retarders, half-wave retarders with a continuously variable fast axis. Polarization properties of components designed to create different polarization vortex modes are presented. We assess the viability of these c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 2008-01, Vol.33 (2), p.134-136
Main Authors: CELDOWNEY, Scott C. M, SHEMO, David M, CHIPMAN, Russell A, SMITH, Paula K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Display devices, liquid-crystal devices
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Optical elements, devices, and systems
Optics
Physics
Polarization
Wave optics
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Summary:We present developments using photoaligned liquid crystal polymers for creating vortex retarders, half-wave retarders with a continuously variable fast axis. Polarization properties of components designed to create different polarization vortex modes are presented. We assess the viability of these components by using the theoretical and experimental point spread functions in Mueller matrix format, or a point spread matrix (PSM). The measured PSM of these components in an optical system is very close to the theoretically predicted values, thus showing that these components should provide excellent performance in applications utilizing polarized optical vortices.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/OL.33.000134