ABSTRACT
A polarization optical element is any optical element that modifies the state of polarization of a light beam. Polarizers, retarders, rotators, and depolarizers are all polarization optical elements, and we will discuss their properties in this chapter. The many references on polarization elements, and catalogs and specifications from manufacturers are good sources of information. We include here a survey of elements, and brief descriptions so that the reader has at least a basic understanding of the range of available polarization elements.
