Ge/SiO/sub 2/ laminated optical polarizer for the wavelength region 0.6-1 μm

A report is presented on laminated polarizers (LAMIPOLs) suitable for short wavelengths of light (λ < 1 μm). This new device consists of periodic alternative layers of ultrathin Ge (e.g., <8 nm thick) and SiO/sub 2/ (e.g., <1 μm thick). The quality factor of the new laminated polarizer, defined by R= alpha /sub TE// alpha /sub TM/, is in excess of 200 at λ = 0.8 μm and is a decreasing function of the wavelength lambda . This is in remarkable contrast to the fact that the quality factor for an Al/SiO/sub 2/ LAMIPOL is an increasing function of λ.