Spatial walk-off polarizer utilizing artificial anisotropic dielectrics

Abstract

We propose a new spatial walk-off polarizer that utilizes artificial anisotropic dielectrics. The polarizer is composed of two kinds of periodically laminated dielectric layer. We calculated the characteristics of the polarizer composed of periodically laminated a-Si/SiO(2) layers and found that the split angle between the ordinary wave and the extraordinary wave in the polarizer is more than three times larger than that in well-known birefringent crystals, e.g., rutile and calcite. The polarizer holds promise for the miniaturization of polarization beam splitters and polarization-independent isolators.