Patent ID: 8482717

Claim:
A polarization transforming element for forming a selected polarization distribution for an incident predetermined light intensity distribution, comprising: a sector-shaped first basic element made of a first optical material with optical activity, for forming a first region of the polarization distribution and preserving the intensity distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution in the first region; and a sector-shaped second basic element made of a second optical material with optical activity, for forming a second region of the polarization profile and preserving the intensity distribution of the predetermined light intensity distribution in the second region, wherein the first basic element and the second basic element have their respective thicknesses different from each other along a direction of transmission of light and the first and second optical materials each have an optic axis oriented parallel to the direction of transmission of light where each optical material rotates an electric field direction of linearly polarized light propagating along the optic axis by an amount proportional to a thickness of the optical material.