When a light beam whose polarization and intensity are weakly modulated at a frequency ω_m passes through a periodic analyzer of frequency ω_a(<ω_m) and the transmitted flux is linearly detected, the resulting total signal S_t consists of two components: (i) a periodic baseband signal S_bb with harmonics of frequencies nω_a (n = 0,1,2,…) and (ii) an amplitude-modulated-carrier signal δS_mc with center (carrier) frequency ω_m and sideband frequencies at ω_m ± nω_a(n = 1,2,…). In this paper we show that the average polarization of the beam is determined by a limited spectral analysis of S_bb, whereas the polarization and intensity modulation are determined by a limited spectral analysis of δS_mc, or the associated envelope signal δS_e, where δS_mc = δS_ecosω_mt. The theory of this frequency-mixing detection (FMD) of polarization modulation is developed for an arbitrary periodic analyzer. The specific case of a rotating analyzer is considered as an example. Applications of FMD include the retrieval of information impressed on light beams as polarization modulation in optical communication systems, and the automation of modulated ellipsometry, AIDER (angle-of- incidence-derivative ellipsometry and reflectometry), and modulated generalized ellipsometry.

© 1976 Optical Society of America

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