Liquid crystal beam polarizer and method for manufacturing thereof

摘要

A beam polarizer device for splitting an unpolarized beam of incident radiation into first and second beams of different polarizations. The beam polarizer comprises a birefringent cell interposed between a pair of parallel sides of first and second prisms made of an optically transparent material. The birefringent cell is formed of an oriented organic material having a desired orientation of its optical axis relative to the sides of the prisms enclosing the birefringent cell therebetween. The organic material has substantially different refraction indices n1 and n2 for light components of, respectively, two different orientations of electric fields relative to the direction of propagation of a beam impinging onto the birefringent cell while propagating inside the first prism. The optically transparent material has a refraction index n3 which is substantially equal to the greatest one between the refraction indices n1 and n2.