Field-of-view characteristics of a liquid crystal variable retarder

We examine the effect of incident angle on the Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder (LCVR) and develop a Mueller matrix formulation for the LCVR that is a function of incident angle and applied voltage. By comparing the model with laboratory measurements for both linear and circular input polarization, we show that the mathematical model provides a credible representation of a real LCVR. The model can be used to determine the field angle effects of LCVRs in complex optical polarization systems.