Abstract

The optical compensator is an optical component yielding variable phase retardation. It is usually used in connection with ellipsometry and investigations of birefringent materials. The common types of compensator are Babinet and Soleil compensators and the Senarmont, Berek, and Ehringhaus compensators.¹ All these are based on variable optical path lengths in a birefringent material. Hence the phase retardation is dependent on the wavelength of the light. This is very inconvenient when spectral properties are investigated.

© 1988 Optical Society of America