Polarization-Resolved Measurements using Mueller Matrix Analysis
Publication Number: 5989-1261EN
Publication Date: 2017.11.30
Language: English
Application Notes

Polarization-Resolved Measurements using Mueller Matrix Analysis

Show Description

The performance of optical components can have significant dependence on polarization, as with the difference between TE and TM polarization in planar devices like AWG and SOA. Determination of the optical properties for the principal states of polarization can be needed, for instance to determine the polarization dependent wavelength of a bandpass filter. It can be complicated to adjust instrumentation to provide these polarization states. A fast and direct method to do this based on Mueller matrix analysis is described here.

 

Introduction

The performance of optical components can depend significantly on input signal polarization as a result of the structure or cross-section of the optical path in the device. In components based on planar waveguides in particular, different optical properties apply to light polarized parallel or perpendicular to the substrate, labeled TE or TM respectively. Arrayed waveguides (AWG) and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) are two examples of such devices. Determination of the optical properties at these principal states of polarization is valuable, for example to determine the polarization dependent wavelength (PDW) of the passband for an AWG channel and to aid in the design and refinement of the component.