Terahertz wire-grid polarizers with micrometer-pitch Al gratings

We fabricated a terahertz wire-grid polarizer consisting of a micrometer-pitch Al grating on a Si substrate by photolithography and wet etching. The ratio of TM and TE transmittances (extinction ratio) was over 35 dB at 0.5 THz. At the Brewster angle of the Si substrate, the polarization transmittance of a TM wave through the fabricated polarizer exceeded 95% and the extinction ratio was over 45 dB at similar to 1 THz. The fabricated polarizer has a higher extinction ratio than conventional free-standing terahertz wire-grid polarizers. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America