Abstract

The Stokes parameters ($S_0$, $S_1$, $S_2$, and $S_3$) of monochromatic light can be measured using the adjustable azimuth settings of a quarter-wave plate and a polarizer. When measuring the Stokes parameters of light of an arbitrary wavelength, the measurement of $S_3$ is affected by the phase difference error $\mathrm{\Delta }{q}_{\lambda i}$, due to the mismatch with respect to wavelength with the quarter-wave plate. In this method, $\mathrm{\Delta }{q}_{\lambda i}$, due to such a mismatch of incident light of arbitrary wavelength, can be overcome by a judicious choice of azimuth settings of the quarter-wave plate and the use of a polarizer; however, the use of a precision quarter-wave plate is necessary. The present paper proposes a measurement method of Stokes parameters of incident light of arbitrary wavelength using a quarter-wave plate with phase difference errors.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

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