National Research Council of Canada

Zhengda Pang

Li Li

Li Ll

A thin film polarizing device has a functional core consisting of at least two alternating thin film layers of metal and dielectric sandwiched between a pair of optical media providing input and output ports. The thicknesses of said layers and the optical constants of said layers and said optical media are selected such that the equivalent admittance of said functional core substantially matches the admittance of said optical media for one plane of polarization, thus allow light with said polarization to be transmitted, and has substantially only an imaginary part for the other plane of polarization, thus allows light with the other polarization to be reflected, at predetermined wavelengths and angles of incidence.

Thin film polarizing device having metal-dielectric films

A polarizing light source for providing polarized illumination over a two-dimensional surface has a slab-like light guide with an entrance face at one end thereof for admitting unpolarized light from a linear source, a planar front face for emitting polarized light, a planar back face, and an end face. A polarizing device is located on said back face for reflecting light of a first polarization and transmitting light of a second polarization at non-normal angles of incidence. The reflected light is directed in the light guide to the end face. A reflective arrangement under the polarizing device returns the transmitted light to the light guide in a direction substantially normal to the polarizing device such that it passes unaffected through the polarizing device for exit through the front face. A polarization converter on the end face changes the polarization of the reflected light and directs it into the reflective arrangement through the polarizing device as light of the second polarization for return to the light guide through the polarizing device in a direction substantially normal to the polarizing device such that it passes unaffected through the polarizing device from the reflective arrangement for exit through said front face.

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Gloucester, Canada

Zhengda Pang