PHYSICAL CONCEPTS OF OPTICAL COMPONENTS 1. Wave plates.

(a) Wave plates change the relative phase between two components of polarization. (b) A linearly polarized light can be converted to circular or elliptical polarization depending upon the phase shift involved. (c) Most widely used wave plates are Full (2), Half () or Quarter(/2) wave plates, which provide phase shifts as indicated in brackets. (d) WPs work on the principle of birefringence shown by materials which offer different RI in two mutually orthogonal directions. (e) When light with certain polarization passes through such material both of its components experience different RI and hence travel at different speeds. Therefore they emerge with a phase difference which in turn causes state of polarization to change. (f) The amount phase difference while the light is travelling through the material is determined by difference in ordinary (no) and extra-ordinary (ne) RI of the material and thickness of the material. 2. Depolarisers. (a) These components transform polarized light into unpolarised state. (b) Strictly speaking the polarization of light is not completely unpolarised but it is randomized creating an overall effect of unpolarisation. (c) The effect is realized by making the light experience different RI while passing through the material. (d) Beam spot size and thickness of material play an important role in determining the degree of depolarisation. 3. Polarisers. (a) Polarisation is the measure of orientation of E vector of light. Polarisers are devices to impart desired polarisation to incoming light. (b) There are various kinds of polarising devices which can be used to create Linear, Circular or Elliptical polarisation. (c) The incoming light is absorbed, reflected, refracted, scattered or transmitted to achieve polarisation. (d) Certain materials like Quartz, Polaroid, Polymers doped with iodine and closely placed wires made of Al or gold are used as polarising devices. (e) In reflection, refraction or transmission type of polarisers birefringence is used as one of the methods for producing polarized light. Wherein depending on, incidence angle light splits into e-ray and o-ray before emerging out of the device and having mutually perpendicular state of polarisation. (f) Circular or elliptical polarisation can be produced by using a combination of linear polarizer and QWP or a variable retarder respectively.

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Q Switching. (a) This is the technique used to generate Laser pulses of high peak power. (b) The laser cavity is made to operate under high losses for certain duration of time and thereafter the losses are suddenly brought down to min. level thus a giant pulse emerges. During the period of high loss operation of cavity, a high population inversion achieved through pumping. (c) Therefore the number of species in available at upper laser level continuous to grow beyond its threshold level. (d) The path between two mirrors is blocked and hence roundtrip gain is restricted only to single pass rather than could have been achieved through multiple passes. (e) Thus the accumulation of the excited atoms at ULL and sudden opening of blockage in the gain medium results in oscillations to build up very rapidly and a pulse with very high peak power emerges out of the resonator. (f) The introduction of loss and sudden removal can be implemented using various methods like mechanical, Passive, Electro optic or Acousto-optic shutter with each of the method having its own advantages and disadvantages.