Journal of the European Optical Society - Rapid publications, Vol 10 (2015)

Hollow waveguides as polarization converting elements: a theoretical study

S. F. Helfert, A. Edelmann, J. Jahns

Abstract


Subwavelength apertures in a metallic film act as hollow waveguides. By using a non-quadratic cross-section, an anisotropic transmission behaviour results for the two polarization states. Thus, an array of metallic subwavelength apertures may be used as polarization converter, e.g., as a half-wave plate. By varying orientation and shape of the cross-sections locally, one can design polarization shifting elements for complex wave fields. Here, we present a theoretical consideration on the physical properties and compare with dielectric form birefringence.

© The Authors. All rights reserved. [DOI: 10.2971/jeos.2015.15006]

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