title: Performance of a q-plate tunable retarder in reflection for the switchable generation of both first- and second-order vector beams.
abstract: We examine the performance of a tunable liquid crystal q-plate in a reflective geometry. When the device is tuned to a half-wave retardance, it operates as a q-plate with twice the value (2q) by adding a quarter-wave retarder between the mirror and the q-plate. However, when the device is tuned to a quarter-wave retardance, it acts as the original q-plate without the retarder. Experimental results are shown. Using an input tunable polarization state generator, the system allows the switchable production of all states on both the first- and second-order Poincaré spheres.
authors.forename: María M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-López
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hurtado
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Badham
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Sam W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Delaney
mesh_terms: D050866:Liquid Crystals; D012031:Refractometry