Application notes new products

inside POLARIZING
Calcite Polarizers.............................................123 High Energy Laser Polarizers..........................123 Linear Glass Polarizers............................ 123-125

Understanding polarization and how to measure a change in its state is important in many applications. Polarizers can be used to measure changes in magnetic fields, temperature, molecular structures, chemical interactions and acoustic vibrations. Polarizers can be utilized in imaging to reduce glare and hot spots, enhance contrast, and perform stress evaluation. Linearly Polarized Light along the Z axis.
Y Y

Linear Film Polarizers......................................125 Wire Grid Polarizers................................. 125-126 Crystalline Polarizers for the IR......................126 Faraday and Free Space Isolators. ..................127 Waveplates/Retarders. .............................127-129 Polarizing Cube Beamsplitters............... 130-131 X

X and Y components of Linearly Polarized Light at 45O to the Z axis

X Z

optics

Circularly Polarized Light

Y

X
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mechanics

Phase Shift /4

lasers

Random Light

Linear Polarizer

Vertical Polarization Quarter Wave Retarder Circular Polarization

electro-optics

Mirror Horizontal Polarization

POLARIZATION TERMINOLOgY Unpolarized: A term used to describe light that contains random combinations of x and y components of the electric field. Light from ordinary sources such as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LED spotlights, fiber optic illuminators, and sunlight are all examples of unpolarized light. Linear or Plane-Polarized: Light in which the electric field component is displaced or oscillates in only one plane with respect to the direction of propagation. Passing unpolarized light through a linear polarizer will block half of the incident light. The resultant light is linearly polarized. Circular Polarization: Occurs when the x and y components of the electric field have equal amplitude but have a phase difference of a quarter wave. Circularly polarized light is easily created when incident linearly polarized light is oriented 45 from the fast axis of a quarter wave plate. Elliptical Polarization: Occurs when the x and y components of the electric field have a phase difference other than an even multiple of a quarter wave. BAsIC RELATIONs FOR LINEAR POLARIZER A simple polarimetric setup can be used to determine the maximum and minimum transmission of a polarizer. Unpolarized light passes through a linear polarizer to be linearly polarized. The light then passes through another polarizer that can be rotated to be parallel or perpendicular to the first polarizer. Extinction: a polarizing filters ability to absorb polarized light oriented orthogonal to the polarizers axis of polarization. Extinction Ratio: the ratio of the power of a linearly polarized beam that is transmitted through a polarizer with its polarizing axis parallel to the beams plane compared to the transmitted power when the polarizers axis is perpendicular to the beams plane. Tparallel

imaging

A common application for polarizers and retarders is optical isolation. Isolation, similar to extinction, is the percentage of light blocked by the return pass through the polarizers.

polarization States
illumination
In optics it is standard to describe linear polarization in reference to the surface or interface that the light is incident upon. The plane of incidence is normal to the surface or interface. S-Polarization State: Polarization that is perpendicular to the plane of incidence. The S notation in S-Polarization comes from the German word for perpendicular (senkrecht). It may be helpful to think of S-Polarization as skipping parallel to the surface of incidence. P-Polarization State: Polarization that is parallel to the plane of incidence. The P notation in P-Polarization comes from the Germansystem?integratable word for parallel (paralelle). A common mnemonic for remembering P-Polarization is to think of P-Polarized new?design light as plunging into the surface.
techspec

Tperpendicular

Contrast: the degree of polarization or polarization efficiency. The difference between the maximum and minimum transmitted power divided by the sum of the maximum and minimum transmitted power through two linear polarizers. Tparallel Tperpendicular

targets

Tparallel + Tperpendicular Parallel Polarizers

Random Light Linear Polarizer Linear Polarizer Maximum Transmission Transmission Axis Transmission Axis Tparallel Linear Polarizer

Crossed Polarizers
Random Transmission Light Axis Transmission Axis Minimum Transmission Linear Polarizer Tperpendicular

magnifiers

microscopy

system?integratable military system?integratable

SYMBOLS & LOGOS

testing

new?design EO?designed?&?manufactured new?design

Edmund Optics military techspec new?low?price military Precision Components

POLARIZATION SELECTION GUIDE Several types of polarizers exist in the optics industry today: crystalline, dichroic, wire-grid and wave plates. Each has its own unique fabrication method and useful benefits. Below we provide a brief overview of some of our polarizers, application recommendations, wavelengths specifications and other information to help you select the polarizer that is right for you. Calcite Polarizers (page 123) Linear Polarizing Glass Filters (page 124) Wire Grid Linear Polarizers (page 124) High Contrast Polarizers (page 125) Polarizing Laminated Film (page 125) NIR Linear Polarizers (page 126) IR Wire Grid Polarizers (page 126) High Power Laser Applications, High Extinction Ratio (100,000:1) Wavelength: UV to NIR General purpose usage: great for lab and OEM applications, Wavelength: Visible system?integratable High transmission, High Operating Temperature, Wavelength: Visible new?design Laser Applications & Harsh Environment, Extinction Ratios up to 100,000:1 Wavelength: UV to NIR Large Apertures, Extinction Ratio up to 100:1, Wavelength: Visible military Lower Output NIR Lasers, Sensors, and IR attenuation applications Designed for Mid to Far IR Applications (up to 30m)
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CE MARKED & APPROVED CE?marked?and?approved hazardous?material CE?marked?and?approved

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