Patent ID: 7254288
Filing Date: 2007-08-07
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for generating a completely depolarized light beam, comprising: (a) a corner cube; (b) a collimated linearly polarized input light beam irradiating said corner cube having wherein the inter-related parameters σ′, θ, ψ have been predetermined to yield the depolarized state conditions; (c) a polarized retro-reflected light beam from said corner cube; (d) a bi-directional beam director interposed between the input light beam source and said corner cube re-directs said retro-reflected beam from said corner cube to the output port of said beam director thereby steering away said retro-reflected beam from said input light beam; and (e) a spatial averaging means for combining the polarization states of said retro-reflected beam from said corner cube via said output port of said beam director thereby generating said depolarized output beam having zero-valued Stokes polarization parameters S