Hello everyone. In my research I have come across the need for a material or coating that has the property that it is transparent for horizontally polarized light, while reflective for vertically polarized light.
I am aware that what I am describing is in essence a polarization beam splitter. However, such a device can not be used in my application due to the fact that the Angle Of Incidence (AOI) of beam splitters is around 45 degrees. I require a material/device/coating that will perform the aforementioned function at an AOI of 0 degrees, i.e. with the beam normal to the plane of this hypothetical mirror. Does what I am describing exists? Thank you!
You can try wire-grid polarizer. Please see, for example, https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=5510
A wire-grid polarizer could possibly work at an AOI of 0, but the extinction ratio is limited and losses can be quite high. Alternatively, you could use a regular polarizing beam splitter, with an AOI of 45 for example, and use an HR mirror to reflect one of the polarization back to the incident beam. That should be equivalent to what you are describing.
Thank you Michael Shribak and Alexandre Laurain . This might be just what I need. Large losses are acceptable.
Alexandre Laurain : A polarizing beam splitter with AOI of 45 degrees together with a HR mirror cannot be used in my application due to space constraints. I require polarized-dependent reflection over an area of 10x10cm^2, so a 0 degree AOI thin-film solution is the only viable method.
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