Formation of discrete space-variant subwavelength dielectric gratings for polarimetric measurements

We present a unique method for real-time polarization measurement by use of a discrete space-variant subwavelength grating. The formation of the grating is done by discrete orientation of the local subwavelength grooves. The complete polarization analysis of the incident beam is determined by spatial Fourier transform of the near-field intensity distribution transmitted through the discrete subwavelength dielectric grating followed by a subwavelength metal polarizer. We discuss a theoretical analysis based on Stokes-Muller formalism and experimentally demonstrate our approach with polarization measurements of infrared radiation at a wavelength of 10.6μm. Moreover, a new far-field polarimetry approach is presented along with preliminary experimental results.