Patent ID: 6788462
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An achromatic circular polarizer comprising:a polychromatic light source comprised of a plurality of light frequencies; a linear polarizer in light receiving relation to the polychromatic light source; a Â½ wave plate for a selected wavelength of light, the Â½ wave plate in light receiving relation to the linear polarizer, the Â½ wave plate rotating the plane of the selected wavelength and creating elliptically polarized light for every wavelength of the polychromatic light source which is not the selected wavelength; a partial polarizer in light receiving relation to the Â½ wave plate, the partial polarizer changing the eccentricity of the elliptically polarized light of every wavelength of the polychromatic light source which is not the selected wavelength to a value opposite in sign and equal to that produced by a Â¼ wave plate; and wherein the Â¼ wave plate is in light receiving relation to the partial polarizer, and wherein the linear polarizer, the Â½ wave plate, the partial polarizer, and the Â¼ wave plate are arranged so that the plurality of light frequencies passing through the linear polarizer, the Â½ wave plate, the partial polarizer, and the Â¼ wave plate, are each emitted as circularly polarized light.