Fabry-Perot cavity resonance enabling highly polarization-sensitive double-layer gold grating

Abstract

We present experimental and theoretical investigations on the polarization properties of a single- and a double-layer gold (Au) grating, serving as a wire grid polarizer. Two layers of Au gratings form a cavity that effectively modulates the transmission and reflection of linearly polarized light. Theoretical calculations based on a transfer matrix method reveals that the double-layer Au grating structure creates an optical cavity exhibiting Fabry-Perot (FP) resonance modes. As compared to a single-layer grating, the FP cavity resonance modes of the double-layer grating significantly enhance the transmission of the transverse magnetic (TM) mode, while suppressing the transmission of the transverse electric (TE) mode. As a result, the extinction ratio of TM to TE transmission for the double-layer grating structure is improved by a factor of approximately 8 in the mid-wave infrared region of 3.4-6 mu m. Furthermore, excellent infrared imagery is obtained with over a 600% increase in the ratio of the TM-output voltage (V-theta=0 degrees) to TE-output voltage (V-theta=90 degrees). This double-layer Au grating structure has great potential for use in polarimetric imaging applications due to its superior ability to resolve linear polarization signatures.