In the most general case, the effect of rAB would be to transform
an elliptically polarized field E⃑
rA into differently polarized but still
elliptical E⃑
rB. Indeed, since the phase difference between rs and rp
in a VO2 layer is generally not a multiple of 2π, the reflected field is
generally not linearly polarized even if E⃑
o is linearly polarized. But
in order to attain the greatest contrasts of modulation using polarizers,
it is best to operate with linear polarizations. To this end, a
phase compensator (e.g. birefringent crystal) can be used to prepare
E⃑
o in such a way that E⃑
rA (or E⃑
rB) is linearly polarized, in which
case high-contrast modulation through polarizers would be
possible.