1. Nanosecond polarization modulation in vanadium dioxide thin films
- Author
-
Vo-Van Truong, Alain Haché, Tran Vinh Son, and J.-F. Bisson
- Subjects
Phase transition ,Thin layers ,Materials science ,Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) ,business.industry ,Linear polarization ,02 engineering and technology ,Nanosecond ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Polarization (waves) ,01 natural sciences ,010309 optics ,Optics ,0103 physical sciences ,Light beam ,Optoelectronics ,Thin film ,0210 nano-technology ,business ,Excitation - Abstract
The polarization state of light beams reflecting off thin layers of vanadium dioxide is measured as the material undergoes an insulator-metal phase transition by optical excitation. Under certain conditions, films as thin as 50 nm are shown to rotate linear polarization by 90° in reflection on the nanosecond and potentially shorter timescales. Possible applications for high-contrast optical modulation over a wide spectral range and high bandwidths are discussed.
- Published
- 2017