An ellipsometer capable of improving a throughput calculating ellipsometry coefficients (ψ, Δ) even when performing measurement with a combination of a light source having a wide wavelength band and a spectrometer, and an apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor device is e hid g the ellipsometer may be provided. The ellipsometer includes a polarizing optical element unit for separating reflected light into two polarization components having polarization directions that are orthogonal to each other in a radial direction with respect to an optical axis of an optical system of the reflected light, an analyzer unit for transmitting components of a direction different from the polarization directions of the two polarization components to make the two polarization components interfere with each other, and to form an interference fringe in a form of a concentric circle, an image detector for detecting the interference fringe, and processing circuitry for calculating ellipsometry coefficients from the interference fringe.

Methods and apparatus for obtaining a vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) image using a discrete frequency infrared (DFIR) microscope are disclosed. The method includes generating a pulsed laser beam comprising a spectral frequency, which may be tunable; modulating the laser beam to generate circularly polarized light; illuminating a sample and collecting, and detecting an optical signal transmitted or transflected from the location of the sample. The detected signal is demodulated at, for example, both the pulse frequency and the sum or difference of the pulse frequency and the modulating frequency to obtain an intensity value that correspond to the absorbance, and a polarization-dependent value that corresponds to the VCD. Other configurations of the apparatus may be employed to measure VCB and VLD.

A spectroscopic ellipsometry system and method for thin film measurement with high spatial resolution. The system includes a rotating compensator so that spectroscopic ellipsometric and imaging ellipsometric data are collected simultaneously with the same measurement beam. Collecting both ellipsometric data sets simultaneously increases the information content for analysis and affords a substantial increase in measurement performance.

An imaging system uses polarized light to illuminate the target and then uses a polarization filter to remove the light that is reflected from the target without modification. The target can include one or more anisotropic objects that scatter the light and alter the polarization state of the reflected light and causing it to be selectively transmitted to the imaging device which can record the transmitted light through the filter. The illuminating light can be circularly polarized and the filter can remove the circularly polarized light. The target can include asymmetric nanoparticles, such as nanorods that alter the amplitude or phase of the scattered light enabling pass through the filter to be detected by the imaging device.

A method of measuring whole-blood hemoglobin parameters includes providing a LED light source, guiding light having the spectral range from the LED light source along an optical path, providing a cuvette module with a sample receiving chamber, providing a pair of first and second optical diffusers disposed in the optical path where the cuvette module is disposed between the pair of first and second optical diffusers, guiding light from the cuvette module into an optical spectrometer, and processing an electrical signal from the spectrometer into an output signal useable for displaying and reporting hemoglobin parameter values and/or total bilirubin parameter values of the sample of whole blood.

In an embodiment, a distortion-measuring apparatus for measuring a distortion distribution of an entire vitreous silica crucible in a non-destructive way includes: a light source 11; a first polarizer 12 and a first quarter-wave plate 13 disposed between the light source 11 and an outer surface of a vitreous silica crucible wall; a camera 14 disposed inside of a vitreous silica crucible 1; a camera control mechanism 15 configured to control a photographing direction of the camera 14; a second polarizer 16 and a second quarter-wave plate 17 disposed between the camera 14 and an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible wall. An optical axis of the second quarter-wave plate 17 inclines 90 degrees with respect to the first quarter-wave plate 13.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining metrics of water particles in clouds by directing light pulses at a cloud and measuring a peak, a post-peak value and a high-frequency fluctuation of light signals reflected from the cloud. The light pulses include: a first pulse having circularly polarized light of a first wavelength; and a second pulse of a second wavelength. The reflected light signals include: a first reflected light signal having left-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; a second reflected light signal having right-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; and a third reflected light signal of the second wavelength. An extinction coefficient and a backscatter coefficient are determined based on the measured peak and post-peak slopes of the first and second reflected light signals. The measured high-frequency fluctuations of the three reflected light signals can be used to calculate cloud particle sizes.

Provided are a circular polarization filter including a circularly-polarized light separating layer (preferably, a layer having a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase fixed therein or a laminate including a reflective linear polarizer and a λ/4 phase difference layer), in which the circularly-polarized light separating layer selectively transmits either right-handed circularly polarized light or left-handed circularly polarized light in a specific wavelength region, a transparent medium which is transparent with respect to light in the specific wavelength region is provided at least on one surface side of the circularly-polarized light separating layer, and the transparent medium has an inclined surface which forms an angle of 1° to 30° relative to the surface on the transparent medium side of the circularly-polarized light separating layer, and sensor system using the circular polarization filter. The circular polarization filter of the invention is capable of providing circularly polarized light with a high circular polarizance, or improving sensitivity in the sensor system using circularly polarized light.

An apparatus for carrying out polarization resolved Raman spectroscopy on a sample (15), in particular a crystalline sample, comprises: at least one light source (11), in particular at least one laser, for providing excitation radiation to a sample (15), a spectrograph (31) for dividing light from the sample (15), in particular Raman scattered light from the sample (15), into at least one spectrum of spatially separated wavelength components and for directing at least a portion of the at least one spectrum to a detector (29), in particular a CCD detector, a polarization state control element (27) for the light from the sample (15), the polarization state control element (27) being arranged in a light path of at least one light beam (25) traveling from the sample (15) towards the detector (29), and the polarization state control element (27) comprising at least one polarization sensitive optical element (45, 47), in particular a Wollaston prism, the at least one polarization sensitive optical element being adapted to split the at least one light beam (25) into at least two, in particular orthogonally, polarized light beams (35a, 35b, 37a, 37b).

A device for inspecting a liquid crystal stain of a polarization plate, the device comprising a surface light source; a first polarization member; a polarization plate including a liquid crystal film; a second polarization member; and an inspection source, and a method using the device, the device and the method capable of easily inspecting liquid crystal stains generated on a polarization plate with excellent visibility.