Total retardance measurements based on the complex Fourier coefficients for the rotating polarizer analyzer system

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Polarimetry
• Materials Characterization

Background:

• Accurate characterization of polarization properties like retardation, fast axis orientation, and ellipticity is crucial in optics and materials science.
• Traditional methods often involve complex Mueller matrix reconstruction, which can be computationally intensive and time-consuming.
• Existing techniques may have limitations in multi-wavelength applications or require specific optical components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel demodulation algorithm for polarization analysis based on complex Fourier coefficients.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of this algorithm using a dual rotating polarizer-analyzer polarimeter.
• To enable efficient calculation of key polarization parameters without full Mueller matrix recovery.

Main Methods:

• Development of a demodulation algorithm utilizing the calculus of complex Fourier coefficients.
• Experimental validation using a dual rotating polarizer-analyzer polarimeter setup.
• Analysis of the system's frequency response to extract polarization characteristics.

Main Results:

• The proposed algorithm successfully calculates total retardation, fast axis orientation, and ellipticity of a sample.
• The method avoids the need for complete Mueller matrix reconstruction.
• Experimental results confirm the algorithm's capability in characterizing polarization retardance samples.

Conclusions:

• The novel demodulation algorithm offers an efficient approach to polarization analysis.
• The system's design, avoiding retarders, is suitable for multi-wavelength measurements of phase retardation samples.
• This technique provides a valuable tool for characterizing polarization properties of various materials.