Abstract
We first derive the round-trip Jones matrix for double passage through a reciprocal optical medium by means of reflection off a plane mirror that could be optically anisotropic. We then show that if a medium with only linear birefringence and linear dichroism is placed between a pair of orthogonal quarter-wave plates with principal axes at 45° to that of the medium and the sandwich is placed in front of an isotropic mirror it behaves, under double passage, like an isotropic medium. We describe a simple liquid crystal device that behaves, in reflection, as an isotropic medium whose refractive index can be varied by application of an electric field, thus acting as a phase only modulator for light in any polarization state.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Rajendra Bhandari
Opt. Lett. 33(8) 854-856 (2008)
Daisuke Barada, Kiyonobu Tamura, Takashi Fukuda, Masahide Itoh, and Toyohiko Yatagai
Opt. Lett. 33(24) 3007-3009 (2008)
Jing-Fung Lin
Appl. Opt. 47(25) 4529-4539 (2008)