Comparison of quarter-wave retarders over finite spectral and angular bandwidths for infrared polarimetric-imaging applications

    Authors

    S. L. Wadsworth;G. D. Boreman

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Appl. Optics

    Keywords

    FABRICATION; PLATE; Optics

    Abstract

    We compare three technological approaches for quarter-wave retarders within the context of polarimetric-imaging applications in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectrum. Performance of a commercial cadmium sulfide (CdS) crystalline waveplate, a multilayer meanderline structure, and a silicon (Si) form-birefringent retarder are evaluated under conditions of 8-12 mu m broadband radiation emerging from an F/1 focusing objective. Metrics used for this comparison are the spectrally dependent axial ratio, retardance, and polarization-averaged power transmittance, which are averaged over the angular range of interest. These parameters correspond to the characteristics that would be observed at the focal-plane array (FPA) detector of an LWIR imaging polarimeter. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America

    Journal Title

    Applied Optics

    Volume

    50

    Issue/Number

    36

    Publication Date

    1-1-2011

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    6682

    Last Page

    6688

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000299166700018

    ISSN

    1559-128X

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