ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the application of polarization on material characterization. In this application, a polarimeter or ellipsometer is used to measure optical properties and surface properties of materials and thin films. Different components of polarimeters are discussed using an example of an automated reflection null ellipsometer, and two sample experiments are described to measure birefringence of a birefringent slab and the optical constants of a material. To measure polarization, light must interact with a medium to give a response. The response of a polarizer is to pass one polarization and reject the orthogonal one. The response of a phase retarder is to change the relative phase between the two polarizations. Measurement of polarization of light is essential in polarimetry, since polarized light to be examined is not limited to that generated in a laboratory. Characterization of polarization response of a sample requires incident polarized light whose polarization state is controllable.
