Patent ID: 8611008

Claim:
An optical system capable of enhancing a specific polarization state of a light beam, comprising: a polarization beam splitter, for splitting an inputted light beam into a first light beam and a second light beam, said first light beam having a first polarization state, said second light beam having a second polarization state different from said first polarization state; a polarization state converter, inputting said second light beam, for converting the second polarization state and outputting a third light beam, said third light beam including significantly more components of said first polarization state, wherein the polarization state converter is configured as a configuration for providing total reflection or high reflection of light, said configuration including at least an anisotropic optical thin film disposed between an incident medium of higher refractive index and a medium of lower refractive index, wherein the anisotropic optical thin film is an inclined column array formed of a dielectric material, said column array's orientation not lying on plane of incidence of the second light beam produces the polarization conversion effect.