Quantifying polarization changes induced by rotating Dove prisms and K-mirrors

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Dove prisms and K-mirrors are optical devices used for wavefront rotation.
• Wavefront rotation often causes undesirable polarization changes.
• Polarization changes from Dove prisms are studied, but not for K-mirrors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically and experimentally investigate polarization changes induced by rotating K-mirrors.
• To compare the polarization-altering effects of K-mirrors and Dove prisms.
• To establish K-mirrors as a preferred alternative when minimizing polarization changes is crucial.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of polarization changes in K-mirrors.
• Experimental investigation of K-mirror performance.
• Definition and quantification of mean polarization change (D).

Main Results:

• K-mirrors can reduce mean polarization change (D) to approximately 0.03π.
• This reduction is effective for all incident polarization states.
• Achieving such low D values with Dove prisms is practically unfeasible.

Conclusions:

• K-mirrors are superior to Dove prisms for applications requiring minimal polarization changes during wavefront rotation.
• The defined mean polarization change (D) provides a quantitative measure for comparison.
• K-mirrors present a viable solution for advanced optical systems demanding polarization stability.