A new class of polarization filters for laser applications

Ligang Wang; Craig Hodgson; Turan Erdogan

doi:10.1117/12.842698

26 February 2010 A new class of polarization filters for laser applications

Ligang Wang, Craig Hodgson, Turan Erdogan

Proceedings Volume 7598, Optical Components and Materials VII; 75980T (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.842698
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2010, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We describe a unique new, high-contrast, laser-grade polarizer which also acts a high-performance bandpass filter for the desired, transmitted polarization. This thin-film based polarizer combines a polarization contrast ratio greater than 1,000,000-to-1 (extinction ratio < 10^-6) with a bandpass filter with transmission > 93%, very steep edges, and high out-of- band blocking, all in a single, high-layer-count optical coating. Compared to other polarizer technologies, it offers superior optical quality, high angle-of-incidence tolerance, and large clear apertures, making it suitable for high-performance imaging applications. And this filter exhibits excellent environmental reliability and high laser damage threshold (> 1 J/cm²). These new polarizing bandpass filters are excellent laser source clean-up filters to eliminate the undesired polarization at the laser line and light noise away from the laser wavelength, as well as detection filters to pass a laser wavelength range and block background noise. They are ideal for a wide variety of laboratory laser applications, especially those involving holographic and interferometric systems, as well as laser materials processing, polarization diversity detection in communications and rangefinding, and fluorescence polarization and second-harmonic-generation imaging.

Citation Download Citation

Ligang Wang, Craig Hodgson, and Turan Erdogan "A new class of polarization filters for laser applications", Proc. SPIE 7598, Optical Components and Materials VII, 75980T (26 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.842698

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