Polarization effects in diffraction of light on a planar chiral structure

Abstract

We analyzed polarization changes of light diffracted on planar chiral array from the standpoint of the Lorentz reciprocity lemma and found the bi-orthogonality in the polarization eigenstates for the waves diffracting though the grating in the opposite direction. Both reciprocal and non-reciprocal component in the polarization azimuth rotation of the diffracted light were identified. The structural chirality of the array arrangement and the chirality of individual elements of the array give rise to polarization effects.