Alignment method for rotating analyzer ellipsometry

A new method of aligning the optical components has been proposed for the polarizer–specimen–compensator–analyzer ellipsometer configuration. By carrying out the measurements at four different pairs of azimuths of the polarizer and the compensator, we can simultaneously determine the orientation of the optical components with respect to the plane of incidence and the phase retardation of the compensator. The method is fundamentally based on the fact that all the linearly polarized light is transferred on the same great circle on the Poincaré sphere that passes through the p and s directions after reflection from the isotropic surface.