Glancing-Angle Deposition for Distributed Polarization Rotators

/in /by

2014:

The 40-in. coating chamber in the Optical Manufacturing (OMAN) group has been configured to produce coatings by glancing-angle deposition (GLAD). These electron-beam-evaporated coatings condense on the surface of the substrate at a high angle of incidence, forming a birefringent film with an oriented columnar structure. By translating the substrate behind an aperture, the surface may be patterned with coated regions of quarter- and half-wave plates. Such a component enables spatially varying manipulation of incident polarization.

Shown here is Vern Gruschow and Jim Oliver shown with a 2-in. test sample coated in the system along with the insert showing the film structure

Vern Gruschow and Jim Oliver shown with a 2-in. test sample coated in the system along with the insert showing the film structure