A Method for Measuring Polarization in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

Abstract

A simple experimental method for determining the degree of plane polarization of a far ultraviolet monochromator was developed and tested. This determination requires only a measurement of the reflectance at 45° angle of incidence with two or more orientations of the reflector about the optic axis. This procedure works at all wavelengths without requiring a detailed knowledge of the optical constants of the reflector material. The degree of plane polarization has been determined for a 0.5-m Seya-Namioka monochromator. The polarization has been found to depend strongly on wavelength and on both the grating and the grating overcoating.