Dynamic polarization states and birefringence
distributions measurements in spatial elliptical polariscope
using Fourier analysis method
Piotr Kurzynowski, Sławomir Drobczyński, Władysław A. Woźniak*
Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland *Corresponding author: wladyslaw.wozniak@pwr.wroc.pl
Abstract: A new method to measure the light polarization state and the birefringent media
parameters is proposed. We have used the setup described previously, consisting of two pairs of the linear Wollaston and circular compensators which form a set of two spatially modulated elliptical compensators. We have modified this setup introducing some carrier frequencies in all compensators and assuming that the second linear one would introduce the frequency which is a multiplicity of the basis frequency of the first linear compensator. Both of these modifications allow calculating all polarization parameters of polarized light or birefringent medium from only one measured intensity distribution of the light outcoming the described setup. They allow measuring not only the parameters of homogeneous beams/mediums but also x,y-distributions of all desired parameters, like azimuth and ellipticity angles of the light or first medium eigenvector and the phase difference introduced by this medium. The proposed calculation method comprises of Fourier analysis of obtained intensity distribution with some manipulation of coordinate system and filtration of obtained data. This method is claimed to be simple and fast enough to be treated as a real-time method.
@ 2009 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (120.4570) Optical design of instruments; (120.5410) Polarimetry; (230.5440) Polarization-selective devices; (070.2025) Discrete optical signal processing;
