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Two-wave-plate compensator method for full-field retardation measurements
Carole C Montarou1, Thomas K Gaylord, Brent L Bachim
1School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 777 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0250, USA.
Applied Optics
|January 21, 2006
Summary
A new full-field retardation measurement method using a two-wave-plate compensator (TWC) offers high accuracy for optical devices. This advanced technique precisely characterizes polarization-maintaining fibers and gratings.
Area of Science:
- Optical physics
- Materials science
Background:
- Accurate retardation measurements are crucial for optical device characterization.
- Existing methods may lack full-field capability or sufficient resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To expand the two-wave-plate compensator (TWC) method for full-field retardation measurements.
- To evaluate the accuracy and resolution of this enhanced TWC technique.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a polarization microscope with a CCD camera for full-field image projection.
- Implemented the TWC method to measure retardation across all pixels of the sample image.
Main Results:
- Achieved a retardation accuracy of 0.06 nm and a spatial resolution of 0.45 microm.
- Demonstrated high agreement between TWC measurements and crossed-polarizer images for optical fibers.
- Attained a retardation resolution of 0.07 nm.
Conclusions:
- The full-field TWC method provides a valuable tool for precise retardation measurement.
- This technique is effective for characterizing polarization-maintaining fibers and long-period fiber gratings.
- The method supports monitoring optical device fabrication with high accuracy and resolution.