Polarization device to polarize and further control light
First Claim
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1. A polarization device configured to polarize and further control light incident on the device, comprising:
- an optical stack with a diffraction grating and a wire grid polarizer with one disposed over the other and configured to be disposed in the light,the wire grid polarizer including an array of elongated, parallel conductive wires in accordance with PWGP<
λ
/2 where PWGP is a period of the wires and λ
is a wavelength of the light, to polarize the light by substantially reflecting light having an s-polarization orientation and substantially transmitting light having a p-polarization orientation, andthe diffraction grating including an array of elongated parallel dielectric ribs in accordance with PDG>
λ
/2 where PDG is a period of the ribs, to substantially diffract light with s-polarization orientation of non-zero order at a non-orthogonal angle, so that the diffraction grating and the wire grid polarizer together pass light having p-polarization orientation while diffracting light having s-polarization orientation.
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Abstract
A polarization device includes an optical stack with a diffraction grating and a wire grid polarizer with one disposed over the other. The wire grid polarizer includes an array of elongated, parallel conductive wires in accordance with PWGP<λ/2 where PWGP is the period of the wires and λ is the wavelength of the light. The diffraction grating includes an array of elongated parallel dielectric ribs in accordance with PDG>λ/2 where PDG is the period of the ribs.
413 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A polarization device configured to polarize and further control light incident on the device, comprising:
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an optical stack with a diffraction grating and a wire grid polarizer with one disposed over the other and configured to be disposed in the light, the wire grid polarizer including an array of elongated, parallel conductive wires in accordance with PWGP<
λ
/2 where PWGP is a period of the wires and λ
is a wavelength of the light, to polarize the light by substantially reflecting light having an s-polarization orientation and substantially transmitting light having a p-polarization orientation, andthe diffraction grating including an array of elongated parallel dielectric ribs in accordance with PDG>
λ
/2 where PDG is a period of the ribs, to substantially diffract light with s-polarization orientation of non-zero order at a non-orthogonal angle, so that the diffraction grating and the wire grid polarizer together pass light having p-polarization orientation while diffracting light having s-polarization orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A polarization device configured to control light of a visible light beam having a wavelength between 0.4-0.7 microns incident on the device, comprising:
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an optical stack with a diffraction grating stacked over a wire grid polarizer, with the visible light beam incident on the diffraction grating at substantially an orthogonal orientation, the wire grid polarizer including an array of elongated, parallel conductive wires in accordance with PWGP<
λ
/2 where PWGP is a period of the wires and λ
is the wavelength of the visible light beam, to polarize the visible light beam by substantially reflecting light having an s-polarization orientation and substantially transmitting light having a p-polarization orientation, andthe diffraction grating including an array of elongated parallel dielectric ribs in accordance with PDG>
λ
/2 where PDG is a period of the ribs, to substantially diffract light with s-polarization orientation of non-zero order at a non-orthogonal angle, so that the diffraction grating and the wire grid polarizer together pass light having p-polarization orientation while diffracting light having s-polarization orientation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for polarizing a visible light beam while reducing back reflection and unwanted astigmatism in an optical path defined by the visible light beam, comprising:
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disposing a diffraction grating and wire grid polarizer stack in the optical path with the visible light beam incident on the diffraction grating, and orienting the stack substantially orthogonally with respect to the visible light beam incident on the diffraction grating, the wire grid polarizer substantially polarizing the visible light beam by substantially reflecting light having an s-polarization orientation and substantially transmitting light having a p-polarization orientation, with an array of elongated, parallel conductive wires with a period less than about 0.21 microns, the diffraction grating substantially diffracting light with s-polarization orientation having non-zero order at a non-orthogonal angle, with an array of elongated parallel dielectric ribs with a period greater than 0.21 microns, the diffraction grating and the wire grid polarizer together thereby passing light having p-polarization orientation while diffracting light having s-polarization orientation with non-zero order.
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Specification