Tunable giant two-dimensional optical beam shift from a tilted linear polarizer

TL;DR

This paper reports a giant, tunable optical beam shift in a tilted polarizer system, enabling precise micron-level beam steering through simple polarization and orientation adjustments.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized theoretical model for beam shifts in tilted uniaxial anisotropic materials and demonstrates controlled, tunable giant beam shifts in a linear polarizer system.

Findings

Giant optical beam shift observed near Brewster's angle.

Controlled and tunable shifts via polarization and orientation adjustments.

Potential for micron-level beam steering using simple polarizers.

Abstract

We demonstrate an intriguing giant optical beam shift in a tilted polarizer system analogous to the Imbert-Fedorov shift in partial reflection around the Brewster's angle of incidence. We explain this giant shift using a generalized theoretical treatment for beam shift in a tilted uniaxial anisotropic material incorporating the three-dimensional orientation of its optic axis in the laboratory frame. We further demonstrate regulated control and tunability of both the magnitude and direction of the shifts by wisely tuning the input polarization and the corresponding orientation angles. These findings open up the possibility of precise micron-level beam steering using a simple linear polarizer.