The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating polarizing beamsplitters that are broadband and have a wide field of view. We propose to use lithographic techniques to fabricate a polarizing beamsplitter that has acceptance angles up to +- 55 degrees and extinction ratios greater than 50:1 throughout the visible spectrum. Various materials and processing techniques will be investigated. In addition, we propose to fabricate small prototype polarizing beamsplitters and measure their polarization properties. The efficiency and extinction ratios for both S and P beams will be measured as a function of incident angle and wavelength. This beamsplitter device, if successfully developed, may not only find use in advanced imaging for military and medical systems, but may also prove indispensable for consumer applications such as projection displays.
