Abstract

An arrangement is presented for nonmechanical rotation or azimuth change of a linear polarizer that is followed by a photodetector. The arrangement uses a polarization modulator or variable retarder as the driving element for azimuth change, interposed between a quarter-wave plate and the polarizer to be rotated. Operation of the modulator or variable retarder results in a nonmechanical rotation or azimuth change of the polarizer equal to one half of the retardance of the modulator or variable retarder. The present arrangement can be used for constructing an azimuth-variable analyzer and has been verified experimentally.

© 1997 Optical Society of America

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