Mueller matrix imaging microscope using dual continuously rotating anisotropic mirrors

Abstract

We demonstrate calibration and operation of a Mueller matrix imaging microscope using dual continuously rotating anisotropic mirrors for polarization state generation and analysis. The mirrors contain highly spatially coherent nanostructure slanted columnar titanium thin films deposited onto optically thick titanium layers on quartz substrates. The first mirror acts as polarization state image generator and the second mirror acts as polarization state image detector. The instrument is calibrated using samples consisting of laterally homogeneous properties such as straight-through-air, a clear aperture linear polarizer, and a clear aperture linear retarder waveplate. Mueller matrix images are determined for spatially varying anisotropic samples consisting of a commercially available (Thorlabs) birefringent resolution target and a spatially patterned titanium slanted columnar thin film deposited onto a glass substrate. Calibration and operation are demonstrated at a single wavelength (530 nm) only, while, in principle, the instrument can operate regardless of wavelength. We refer to this imaging ellipsometry configuration as rotating-anisotropic-mirror-sample-rotating-anisotropic-mirror ellipsometry (RAM-S-RAM-E).

Spatially resolved chiroptical study of thin films of benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b’]dithiophene‐based oligothiophenes by synchrotron radiation electronic circular dichroism imaging (SR‐ECDi) technique

“…[34] The development of spatially resolved Mueller matrix techniques represents definitely an important strategy for spatial mapping and disentangling of circular and linear anisotropies in thin films. [35][36][37] On the one hand, custom-built Mueller matrix polarimetry microscopes [38] have found successful applications in the study of polycrystalline spherulites of D-sorbitol [34] and of conjugated polymers. [39] On the other, commercial benchtop ellipsometers have been successfully applied for spatially resolved Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements, [40] with successful applications in the 2D-investigation of thin films of chiral π-conjugated small molecules [41,42] and polymers.…”

One-step jones matrix polarization holography for polarization-sensitive materials using angular-multiplexing

“…Figures 3(d)-(f) show plots of the average amplitudes of the Jones matrices, indicating their relative strengths. According to equation (10), when θ = 0°, only |J XX | shows a strong signal, while the rest have negligible values, even close to zero. Conversely, with 90°, |J YY | reaches its maximum while the others remain at approximately zero.…”

“…To identify the variation in the polarized beams, the Mueller and Jones matrices are usually employed. Extensive studies have been conducted on the Mueller matrix, which can summarize the properties of partially polarized light [5][6][7][8][9][10]. However, Mueller matrix polarization measurements have always been used primarily in conventional intensity measurements, failing to directly retain the phase information of the beam.…”

Annealing temperature-dependent induced supramolecular chiroptical response of copolymer thin films studied by pump-modulated transient circular dichroism spectroscopy

“…Importantly, the Müller matrix data suggest that contributions from LD/LD' and LB/LB' effects average out over the macroscopic length scales detected in this experiment. To prove that this statement also holds for microscopic length scales, one would need to perform Müller matrix microscopy 33,[37][38][39] which will be carried out in a future investigation. Here, we use a simpler approach: CD microscopy is performed to check for an invariance of the CD images with respect to rotation and flipping of the sample 40,41 .…”