Design of extreme ultraviolet wire grid polarizers by vacuum guiding

Abstract

Extreme ultraviolet polarizers are crucial for in-depth investigations of light–matter interaction and cutting-edge applications in modern optics. Here, we propose a strategy for extreme ultraviolet wire grid polarizers with superior performance based on vacuum guiding. Owing to the suitable material absorption and vacuum guiding effect, the designed polarizers exhibit an inverse polarization effect and achieve polarization extinction ratios exceeding 100 at various extreme ultraviolet bright lines. Furthermore, the optimized a-silicon-based and molybdenum-based wire grid polarizers achieve the average transmissivity of the target polarization over 30% and 40% at 90–110 and 50–65 nm, respectively, while maintaining a polarization extinction ratio greater than 100. Comparisons with conventional devices further validate the exceptional performance of our device.