An improved wire grid polarizer for thermal infrared applications

Matthew C. George; Jonathan Bergquist; Bin Wang; Rumyana Petrova; Hua Li; Eric Gardner

doi:10.1117/12.2005318

5 March 2013 An improved wire grid polarizer for thermal infrared applications

Matthew C. George, Jonathan Bergquist, Bin Wang, Rumyana Petrova, Hua Li, Eric Gardner

Proceedings Volume 8613, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics VI; 86131I (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2005318
Event: SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 2013, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Moxtek has developed a high contrast IR polarizer on silicon suitable for long wavelength thermal IR applications using our aluminum nanowire, large area patterning capabilities. Between 7 and 15 microns, our 144 nm pitch polarizers transmit better than 70% of the passing polarization state and have a contrast ratio better than 40 dB. Transmission and reflectance measurements were made using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with instrument accuracy verified using silicon and germanium reference standards. Results were compared to RCWA modeling of the wire grid polarizer (WGP) performance on antireflection-coated wafers. The FTIR instrument noise floor limited the maximum contrast measurement to about 40 dB, but high polarizer contrast was verified at 10.6 μm using a CO₂ laser and pyroelectric detector. A continuous wave Gaussian beam from a CO₂ laser was used for Laser Damage Threshold (LDT) testing and showed LDT values of 110 kW/cm² and 10 kW/cm² in the blocking and passing states respectively. Analysis of laser damage threshold test samples shows the damage propagating from defects in the anti-reflection (AR) coating. Removing these AR coating defects should improve LDT performance and transmission in the thermal IR.

Citation Download Citation

Matthew C. George, Jonathan Bergquist, Bin Wang, Rumyana Petrova, Hua Li, and Eric Gardner "An improved wire grid polarizer for thermal infrared applications", Proc. SPIE 8613, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics VI, 86131I (5 March 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2005318

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available