• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

We propose a linearly polarized long-cavity Yb:YAG laser with a variable-reflectivity output coupler and investigate its output characteristics. The variable output coupler consists of a polarized beam splitter and a quarter-wave plate. The linearly polarized laser has a long cavity length of about 3.7 m. The slope efficiency of the proposed laser is 19%, and the beam quality ($M^2$) is about 1.2.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2022

A free-form Mueller matrix ellipsometer (MME) based on independent control of the azimuthal angle of each polarizing element is introduced. The azimuthal angles of the polarizer and the matching compensator which generate the optimum Stokes vectors of an incident beam are investigated for the polarization state generator, where the spectral responses of the retardation angle and transmittance ratio of a nonideal compensator are taken into account. Similarly, the azimuthal angles of the analyzer and the corresponding compensator are investigated for the polarization-state detector, to unambiguously determine the Stokes vector of the outcoming beam from the sample, and explicit expressions for the Stokes elements are derived. Since the suggested technique enables one to utilize a nonideal quarter-wave plate as the compensator for an MME, it will contribute to the construction and application of a Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometer (MMSE) operating over a wide spectral range from deep ultra-violet to near infrared.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.201-209
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• 2022

The previously developed microspot spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) is upgraded to a microspot SE compatible with the atomic force microscope (AFM). The focusing optical system of the previous microspot SE is optimized to incorporate an AFM head. In addition, the rotating compensator ellipsometer in polarizer-sample-compensator-analyzer configuration is adopted in order to minimize the negative effects caused by beam wobble. This research leads to the derivation of the expressions needed to get spectro-ellipsometric constants despite the fact that the employed rotating compensator is far from the ideal achromatic quarter-wave plate. The spot size of the developed microspot SE is less than 20 ㎛ while the AFM head is mounted. It operates in the wavelength range of 190-850 nm and has a measurement accuracy of δΔ ≤ 0.05° and δΨ ≤ 0.02°, respectively. Fast measurement of ≤3 s/sp is realized by precisely synchronizing the azimuthal angle of a rotating compensator with the spectrograph. The microspot SE integrated with an AFM is expected to be useful in characterizing the structure and optical properties of finely patterned samples.