Segmented coupled-wave analysis of a curved wire-grid polarizer

The performance of a wire-grid polarizer (WGP) on a curved surface was investigated with a simple numerical model. The computation model combines rigorous coupled-wave analysis with piecewise linear segmentation that approximates a curved surface for two bending configurations. A curvature-induced Rayleigh anomaly is found to be the main performance degradation mechanism that reduces transmittance and polarization contrast. A WGP on a curved surface is more likely to incur the Rayleigh anomaly with smaller surface curvature. For a given curvature, a larger WGP is more vulnerable. Effects of polar and azimuthal incidence angles were also analyzed. Suggestions were made in regard to a WGP design that minimizes the performance degradation. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.