POLARIZATION PROPERTIES OF THIN-FILMS OF DIAMOND

Thin films transparent to optical radiation offer polarization propert ies that are enhanced when the thickness of the film is an odd multipl e of the quarter-wavelength. The transmission and reflection propertie s of a 1.16-mu m-thick film of diamond realized by plasma-assisted che mical vapor deposition have been studied at 10.6 mu m. A compact polar izer built with four films at a Brewster angle revealed an extinction ratio of better than 1:1000 of the S polarization. The interest in opt ics in which parasitic-reflected or transmitted beams do not exist is pointed out. The high damage threshold of diamonds opens the possibili ty of controlling the polarization characteristics of high-power laser s used, for example, for soldering and cutting applications. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America