Molybdenum–silicon aperiodic multilayer broadband polarizer for 13–30 nm wavelength range

Aperiodic molybdenum/silicon (Mo/Si) multilayer designed as a broadband polarizer with reflectivity over a wide wavelength range of 13–30 nm at a fixed incidence angle of 45° was developed by a numerical method. The multilayer was prepared using direct current magnetron sputtering. The reflectivity and polarizing properties were characterized using synchrotron radiation. In 13–30 nm wavelength region, the measured s-reflectivity (Rs) with standard deviation is 13.5%±3.1%, p-reflectivity (Rp) with standard deviation is 1.4%±0.5%. The mean of polarization degree is 81.2%. This broadband multilayer polarizer can be used in extreme ultraviolet polarization measurements, and will greatly simplify experimental arrangements.