Optical polarizer

Abstract

Abstract An optical polarizer including a polarizing beam splitter including first and second transparent elements separated by a layer of a birefringent material, the layer of the birefringent material being operative to change the polarity of light passing therethrough, the polarizing beam splitter being operative to receive a beam of unpolarized light at the first transparent element, to cause a first beam of light of a first polarity to undergo total internal reflection at an interface between the first transparent element and the layer of birefringent material and to pass a second beam of light of a second polarity through the layer of birefringent material, thus changing its polarity to the first polarity, a first reflector associated with a quarter wave plate and being arranged to receive the first beam of light of a first polarity reflected from the interface between the first transparent element and the layer of a birefringent material via the first transparent element and to change the polarity of the light to a second polarity and a second reflector arranged to receive the first beam of light directed by the first reflector through the quarter wave plate, the first transparent element, the layer of birefringent material and the second transparent element, the polarity of the first beam of light having been changed twice, once by the quarter wave plate and again by passing through the layer of birefringent material, and thus being of the first polarity, the second reflector directing the first beam of light of the first polarity through the second transparent element towards an interface between the second transparent element and the layer of birefringent material such that it undergoes total internal reflection thereat and is combined with the light of the first polarity into a single beam.

Inventors

• 👤 Shlomo Barak

Bibliographic Details