Birefringent thin films and polarizing elements [electronic resource] / Martin W. McCall, Ian J. Hodgkinson, Qihong Wu.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 411-421) and index.

1. Introduction. 1.1. Structural classification of crystals. 1.2. Optical classification of crystals. 1.3. Structure of birefringent films. 1.4. Optical classification of birefringent films. 1.5. Layout of the book -- pt. 1. Propagation in biaxial media. 2. Propagation equations. 2.1. Maxwell's equations. 2.2. Propagation in free space. Mathematical methods. 2.3. Propagation in isotropic media. 2.4. Propagation in anisotropic media. 2.5. Energy flow. 2.6. Notation for biaxial media. 2.7. Propagation in a common direction in a biaxial medium -- 3. Basis vectors. 3.1. Partially coherent states. 3.2. Coherent states. 3.3. Propagation in layered biaxial media -- 4. Transfer matrices. 4.1. Mueller calculus. 4.2. Jones calculus. 4.3. Relationship of Mueller calculus and Jones calculus. 4.4. Berreman calculus. 4.5. Abeles and heavens calculus. 4.6. Film and toolbox structures. 4.7. Relationship of Jones and Berreman calculus -- 5. Reflection and transmission. 5.1. General case - all media biaxial. 5.2. Sorting columns of [symbol]. 5.3. Isotropic cover and substrate. 5.4. All media isotropic. 5.5. Computations using the BTF toolbox. 5.6. Stokes vectors and Mueller matrices for optical coatings. 5.7. Remittance coefficients for partially polarized light -- 6. Guided waves. 6.1. Modal condition. 6.2. Modal cutoffs. 6.3. Modal contours. 6.4. Modal field structure. 6.5. Modal polarization. 6.6. Modal overlap. 6.7. Modal order. 6.8. Power flow. 6.9. Prism couplers -- pt. 2. Characterization of anisotropic films. 7. Deposition of basic nanostructures. 7.1. Computer modelling of deposition. 7.2. Apparatus for depositing anisotropic coatings. 7.3. Basic columnar nanostructures characterized by electron microscopy. 7.4. Optical characterization of the basic nanostructures -- 8. Form birefringence. 8.1. Measurement of in-plane birefringence. 8.2. Measurement of principal refractive indices. 8.3. Modelling form birefringence. 8.4. Empirical model for form birefringence -- 9. Handed media. 9.1. Nanoengineered chiral media. 9.2. Natural chiral media -- 10. Continuum methods. 10.1. Statement of the problem. 10.2. Oseen transformation. 10.3. Coupled wave theory. 10.4. Derivation of remittances from a SCM. 10.5. From multilayer to continuum -- 11. Effective media. 11.1. Herpin indices for PS layers - medium-Wavelength and long-wavelength regimes. 11.2. Herpin indices for isotropic layers. 11.3. TC biaxial layers with a common deposition plane. 11.4. Herpin indices for NC chiral media -- 12. Anisotropic scatter. 12.1. Scatter into the air. 12.2. Scatter patterns formed on the film. 12.3. Scatter into the substrate. 12.4. In situ measurement of scatter. 12.5. Simple theory of scatter. 12.6. Stress and scatter from stress-related cracks -- 13. Fluid transport. 13.1. Fluid patches. 13.2. Scatter from fluid patches. 13.3. Influence on birefringence. 13.4. Sealing biaxial nanostructures -- 14. Metal films. 14.1. Growth and post-deposition sputter etching. 14.2. Direct recording of optical anisotropies. 14.3. Computer modelling of anisotropy in metals. 14.4. Modelling deposition and etching. 14.5. Summary -- pt. 3. Applications of birefringent media. 15. Linear polarizers. 15.1. Real polarizers. 15.2. Dichroic polarizers. 15.3. Tilted plate and thin film polarizers. 15.4. Crystalline prism polarizers. 15.5. Birefringent thin film analogues -- 16. Phase retarders. 16.1. Crystalline wave plates. 16.2. Birefringent thin film analogues -- 17. Birefringent filters. 17.1. Polarization state filters. 17.2. Wavelength filters -- 18. Coating architectures. 18.1. Isotropic architectures. 18.2. Birefringent architectures. 18.3. Chiral architectures. 18.4. Isotropic-birefringent-chiral architectures.

Birefringent Thin Films and Polarizing Elements (2nd Edition) includes the significant advances that have been made since the first book on tilted-columnar films was published. The major discovery of serial bideposition has led to a normal-columnar nanostructure with enhanced birefringence and in turn to nanoengineered handed films with properties matching the left-circular reflectors of scarab beetles. A second version of the Matlab software that accompanies the book includes algorithms for computing material, electromagnetic and optical properties of isotropic, birefringent and chiral films. A set of numerical and experimental examples chosen to illustrate and generate interest in these new fields will be of interest to graduate students and to researchers in optics.

Electronic reproduction. Singapore : World Scientific Publishing Co., 2015. System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mode of access: World Wide Web.