Vortex Retarder Allows Broadband Polarization Direction Indicator

• Published in: IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement Vol. 73; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Zhang, Bei, Zhu, Xinyun, Dong, Yiwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 2024; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Azimuth; Broadband; Broadband communication; Navigation; Polarization; polarization direction; q-plate; Rotation measurement; Sensitivity; Statistical analysis; vortex retarder; Vortices; Wavelength measurement; wide spectrum
• ISSN: 0018-9456; 1557-9662
• DOI: 10.1109/TIM.2024.3418095

Polarization direction indicator (PDI) by vortex retarder has been proved to be a powerful tool in polarization direction measurement. It features on one-shot, nonmechanical motion and nonelectromechanics and high robustness to random noises. However, as a wavelength-sensitive device and the key component in the PDI, a vortex retarder can only work in single-wavelength mode, which, obviously, poses severe application limitations since most practical polarization direction measurement applications actually require broadband detection. This work is to explore the common concern that if a PDI by vortex retarder can work in broadband or wide-spectrum detection mode. It is the first time to theoretically and experimentally prove that a PDI by vortex retarder can work as a broadband PDI, even across the entire visible wavelength band.