Low-Loss, High-Extinction-Ratio Polarizer

An improved optical polarizer has been proposed for use with a high-energy pulsed laser. This polarizer would separate the p- and s-polarized components (the components polarized parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to a designated plane or axis) of an incoming beam of light into two outgoing beams propagating at different angles. This device would offer low loss (<1 percent), high extinction ratio (between 104 and 105), and a high threshold for laser-induced damage - a combination of features that, heretofore, has not been available in a single polarizer.