Measurement of linear birefringence and diattenuation properties of optical samples using polarimeter and Stokes parameters

Abstract

A technique is proposed for measuring the linear birefringence and linear diattenuation of an optical sample using a polarimeter. In the proposed approach, the principal axis angle (alpha), phase retardance (beta), diattenuation axis angle (thetad), and diattenuation (D) are derived using an analytical model based on the Mueller matrix formulation and the Stokes parameters. The dynamic measurement ranges of the four parameters are shown to be alpha = 0 approximately 180 degrees, beta = 0 approximately 180 degrees, theta(d) = 0 approximately 180 degrees, and D = 0 approximately 1, respectively. Thus, full-range measurements are possible for all parameters other than beta. In this study, the proposed methodology does not require the principal birefringence axes and diattenuation axes to be aligned. In addition, the linear birefringence and linear diattenuation properties are decoupled within the analytical model, and thus the birefringence properties of the sample can be solved directly without any prior knowledge of the diattenuation parameters. Also, the characteristic parameters in the baked polarizer with linear birefringence are successfully extracted from an optically equivalent model and proved by the respective simulation and experiment introduced in this study.

Extraction of effective parameters of turbid media utilizing the Mueller matrix approach: study of glucose sensing

“…Significanttly, the proposed methodology does not require the principal birefringence axes and diattenuation axes to be aligned. [31][32][33] It is also noted that Eqs. (11), (12), and (15) can be reduced to a function of the measured Stokes parameters only.…”

“…1, in developing the optically equivalent model of the anisotropic material, the CD and LD components of the sample are assumed to be in front of the CB and LB components, which are in turn in front of the C-Dep and L-Dep components. [31][32][33] The Mueller matrices for a LB material, LD material and CD material, respectively, can all be found in the Refs. 31-33.…”

“…(35) to (37) (24), (21), (26), (32), (33), and (34) for the polarizance vector, LB orientation angle, phase retardance, CB optical rotation, and degrees of linear/ circular depolarization, respectively, are unreliable. Therefore, an alternative method is proposed for calculating the LB/CB and L-Dep/C-Dep properties of a turbid sample with high LD (D ≈ 1).…”

“…(24), (21), (26), (11), (12), (15), (32), (33), and (34), respectively. Significanttly, the proposed methodology does not require the principal birefringence axes and diattenuation axes to be aligned.…”

“…By decoupling the extraction process, the "multiple solutions" problem inherent in previous models 32,33 was avoided. However, the method was unable to extract the linear depolarization (L-Dep) and circular depolarization (C-Dep) properties of turbid samples.…”