Date of Award

5-2007

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Engineering and Applied Science

Department

Electrical Engineering

Major Professor

Azzam, Rasheed

Second Advisor

Alsamman, Abdul

Third Advisor

Charalampidis, Dimitrios

Fourth Advisor

Ioup, Juliette

Fifth Advisor

Puri, Ashok

Abstract

The polarization properties of embedded centro-symmetric and periodic multilayer stacks under conditions of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) are considered. The centro-symmetric multilayer stack consists of a high-index center layer sandwiched between two identical low-index films and high-index – low-index bilayers repeated on both sides of the central trilayer maintaining the symmetry of the entire stack. The periodic multilayer consists of periodically repeated low-index – high-index bilayers. Each multilayer stack is embedded in a high-index prism. Embedded centro-symmetric multilayer stacks are designed to function as efficient polarizers or polarizing beam splitters (PBSs) under conditions of FTIR over an extended range of incidence angles. For a given set of refractive indices, all possible solutions for the thicknesses of the layers that suppress the reflection of p-polarized light at a specified angle, and the associated reflectance of the system for the orthogonal s polarization, are determined. The angular and spectral sensitivities of polarizing multilayer stacks employing 3, 7, 11, 15 and 19 layers of BaF2 and PbTe thin films embedded in a ZnS prism, operating at ë = 10.6 ìm, are presented. Embedded centro-symmetric multilayer stacks are also designed to function as complete-transmission quarter-wave or half-wave retardation (QWR or HWR) devices under conditions of FTIR. QWR and HWR designs at ë =1.55 mì are presented that employ 11 and 7 layers of Si and SiO2 thin films embedded in GaP and Si cube prisms, respectively. The angular and spectral sensitivities of these devices are also considered. Embedded centro-symmetric multilayer stacks under FTIR conditions are also designed to produce various 50%-50% beam splitters. Embedded periodic multilayer stacks are designed to function as polarizers and PBSs at discrete multiple angles of incidence and wavelengths under condition of FTIR. For a given set of refractive indices, all possible solutions for the thicknesses of the layers that suppress the reflection of p-polarized light at a specified angle, and the associated reflectance of the system for the orthogonal s polarization, are determined. The angular and spectral sensitivities of polarizing multilayer stacks employing 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 layers of BaF2 and PbTe thin films embedded in a ZnS prism, operating at ë= 10.6 ìm, are presented.

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The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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