title: Achromatic polarization retarder realized with slowly varying linear and circular birefringence.
abstract: Using the phenomena of linear and circular birefringence, we propose a device that can alter general elliptical polarization of a beam by a predetermined amount, thereby allowing conversion between linearly polarized light and circularly polarized light or changes to the handedness of the polarization. Based on an analogy with two-state adiabatic following of quantum optics, the proposed device is insensitive to the frequency of the light-it serves as an achromatic polarization retarder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Sofia University, James Bourchier 5 Boulevard, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria. rangelov@phys.uni‐sofia.bg
authors.forename: Andon A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rangelov