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We present a simple experiment developed for the advanced physics instructional laboratory to calculate the Mueller matrix of a microscopic sample. The Mueller matrix is obtained from intensity-based images of the sample acquired by a polarization-sensitive microscope. The experiment requires a bright-field microscope and standard polarizing optical components such as linear polarizers and waveplates. We provide a practical procedure for implementing the apparatus, measuring the complete Mueller matrix of linear polarizers used as samples, and discuss the possibility of analyzing biological samples using our apparatus and method. Due to the simplicity of the apparatus and method, this experiment allows students to increase their knowledge about light polarization and initiate their training in optical instrumentation.
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This content will become publicly available on February 1, 2026
Determination of mid-infrared optical properties of complex media using partial Mueller matrix ellipsometry
Tailoring optical and radiative properties has attracted significant attention recently due to its importance in advanced energy systems, nanophotonics, electro-optics, and nanomanufacturing. Metamaterials with micro- and nanostructures exhibit exotic radiative properties with tunability across the spectrum, direction, and polarization. Structures made from anisotropic or nanostructured materials have shown polarization-selective absorption bands in the mid-infrared. Characterizing the optical and radiative properties of such materials is crucial for both fundamental research and the development of practical applications. Mueller matrix ellipsometry offers a nondestructive and noninvasive technique for characterizing radiative properties. Although such ellipsometers have long been used to measure optical properties, their operational bandwidth is usually limited to the visible to near-infrared range, leaving the mid-infrared largely unexplored. In this work, a broadband mid-infrared ellipsometer, operating from 2 to 15 μm, is designed and constructed to measure 12 elements of the Mueller matrix. The results may be used to determine the full Mueller matrix under specific conditions. The performance of the ellipsometer is evaluated using nanostructured materials, including a 1D grating and a chiral F-shaped metasurface. The measurement results compared well to those obtained from rigorous-coupled-wave analysis and finite-difference time-domain simulations, suggesting that this setup offers a useful tool in optical property retrieval and the assessment of nanostructured materials.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2004749
- PAR ID:
- 10615420
- Publisher / Repository:
- AIP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Review of Scientific Instruments
- Volume:
- 96
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0034-6748
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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