Stokes Polarimetry Method for Measuring In-Plane Retardation and Out-of-Plane Retardation of Optical Wave

In-plane retardation and out-of-plane retardation by optically anisotropic medium are generally measured with the Mueller polarimeter. We proposed a method for measuring the in-plane retardation and out-of-plane retardation using the Stokes polarimeter. The suggested method requires no polarization state generator, simplifying the measurement system. The retardation measured with the Stokes polarimeter was compared with the data measured with the Mueller polarimeter, and their difference was less than 2.5 nm (0.005 lambda). In addition, the suggested method can find the orientation of the slow axis of the retarder and the order of retardation. Although the conventional methods require measurements at multiple wavelengths to distinguish the order of the retardation, the suggested method can find the exact retardation using data at a single wavelength of light.