Model And Fabrication Of A Proof-Of-Concept Polarimeter-In-A-Pixel

Abstract

I propose a new optoelectronic device that completely and instantaneously measures the incident light's polarization for a narrow wavelength band in a single physical pixel. The device has four (or more) quantum-well active regions separated and topped by four (or more) linear gratings at different orientations. Electrical contact is made to each grating and to a bottom contact layer to measure four (or more) photocurrents. The device uses interference among many light paths to encode in four photocurrents four values that completely describe the polarization state of the incident light at a given wavelength. I begin with the motivation for the new device. Then, I report on two computational models: the first includes perfectly conducting gratings, and the second includes more realistic dielectric gratings. Next, I will describe the design and processing of a two-layer proof-of-concept device. Last, I will recount the trials of the first round of fabrication.