Meanderline wave plates are in common use at radio frequencies as polarization retarders. We present initial results of a gold meanderline structure on a silicon substrate that functions at a wavelength of 10.6 microm in the IR. The measured results show a distinct change in the polarization state of the incident beam after passing through the device, inducing a 74 degrees phase retardance between horizontal and vertical components. A high degree of polarization (88%) is maintained in the transmitted beam with an overall power transmittance of 38% and a beam profile that remains essentially unchanged.
An infrared meander-line waveplate has been modeled and measured over the 8 to 12 microm spectral band in terms of its differential phase delay, axial ratio of the output polarization ellipse, and power throughput for angles of incidence between 0 degrees and 60 degrees. The study has been performed for planes of incidence parallel and perpendicular to the meander-line axis. The main significance is that the phase delay remains almost unaffected by the angle of incidence. Infrared meander-line retarders can thus be used well beyond the paraxial range as in low-f/# optical systems and in non-normal-incidence applications.
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