POLARZATION of Light

Polarization of Light Waves
• Each atom produces a

wave with its own
orientation of
• All directions of the
electric field vector are
equally possible and lie
in a plane
perpendicular to the
direction of propagation
• This is an unpolarized
wave
• A wave is said to be linearly
polarized if the resultant
electric field vibrates in the
same direction at all times
at a particular point
• Polarization can be obtained
from an unpolarized beam
by
– selective absorption
– reflection
– scattering
Polarization
4 Mike Maloney 2003 ©

Polarization by Selective
Absorption
• The most common technique for polarizing light

• Uses a material that transmits waves whose
electric field vectors in the plane are parallel to a
certain direction and absorbs waves whose electric
field vectors are perpendicular to that direction
• E. H. Land discovered a material that
polarizes light through selective
absorption
– He called the material Polaroid
– The molecules readily absorb light
whose electric field vector is parallel to
their lengths and transmit light whose
electric field vector is perpendicular to
their lengths
• The intensity of the polarized beam
transmitted through the second
polarizing sheet (the analyzer) varies as
I = Io cos2 θ
• Io is the intensity of the polarized
wave incident on the analyzer
• This is known as Malus’ Law and
applies to any two polarizing
materials whose transmission axes
are at an angle of θ to each other
The intensity of light transmitted through two polarizers
depends on the relative orientation of their transmission
axes.
(a) The transmitted light has maximum intensity when the
transmission axes are aligned with each other.
(b) The transmitted light intensity diminishes when the
transmission axes are at an angle of 450 with each other.
(c) The transmitted light intensity is a minimum when the
transmission axes are at right angles to each other.
Polarization by Reflection
• When an unpolarized light beam is reflected
from a surface, the reflected light is
– Completely polarized
– Partially polarized
– Unpolarized
• It depends on the angle of incidence
– If the angle is 0° or 90°, the reflected beam is
unpolarized
– For angles between this, there is some degree
of polarization
– For one particular angle, the beam is
completely polarized
The angle of incidence for which the reflected
beam is completely polarized is called the
polarizing angle, θp
• θp + 90o + θp = 180°, so that θ = 90° - θp .
• Using Snell’s law and taking n1 = 1.00 and n2 = n,
we have
• Because sin θ2 = sin(90° - θp) = cos θp , the

expression for n can be written as
sin  p
n  tan  p
cos  p
• θp may also be called Brewster’s Angle
Polarization by Double Refraction
• When light travels through an amorphous
material, such as glass, it travels with a
speed that is the same in all directions.
• That is, glass has a single index of refraction.
In certain crystalline materials, however, such
as calcite and quartz, the speed of light is not
the same in all directions. Such materials are
characterized by two indices of refraction.
Hence, they are often referred to as double-
refracting or birefringent materials.
• When unpolarized light enters a calcite
crystal, it splits into two plane-polarized
rays that travel with different speeds,
corresponding to two angles of refraction
• One ray, called the ordinary (O) ray, is
characterized by an index of refraction, nO
that is the same in all directions.
• The second plane-polarized ray, called the
extraordinary (E) ray, travels with different
speeds in different directions and have an
index of refraction, nE, that varies with the
direction of propagation.
• there is one direction, called the optic
axis, along which the ordinary and
extraordinary rays have the same speed,
corresponding to the direction for which
nO = n E .
• The difference in speed for the two rays is
a maximum in the direction perpendicular
to the optic axis.
Part III: Optical components, retarders
Retarders
• In retarders, one polarization gets ‘retarded’, or delayed,

with respect to the other one. There is a final phase
difference between the 2 components of the polarization.
Therefore, the polarization is changed.
• Most retarders are based on birefringent materials (quartz,
mica, polymers) that have different indices of refraction
depending on the polarization of the incoming light.
Half-Wave plate (I)

• Retardation of ½ wave
or 180º for one of the
polarizations.
• Used to flip the linear

polarization or change
the handedness of
circular polarization.
Half-Wave plate (II)

Quarter-Wave plate (I)

• Retardation of ¼ wave or 90º for one of the
polarizations
• Used to convert linear polarization to elliptical.

Quarter-Wave plate (II)
• Special case: incoming light polarized at 45º with respect to

the retarder’s axis
• Conversion from linear to circular polarization (vice versa)

Part I: Polarization states, circular polarization... see it now?
Circular polarization (IV)

Part I: Polarization states, elliptical polarization
Elliptical polarization
• Linear + circular polarization = elliptical polarization

Isolators -- 1
• Polarizer and quarter waveplate
• Double pass through quarter wave plate
– same as half wave plate
– rotate polarization by up to 45°
• Polarizer blocks reflected light
Polarizer Quarter wave

Reflecting element
Kerr effect
Electro optic effect
• Polarization in direction of applied field changes propagation speed
Input linear polarization
• In direction of applied field -- phase modulator
• Perpendicular to applied field -- nothing
• 45° to applied field -- variable waveplate
– output polarizer gives intensity modulator
Pockels effect
• Similar to Kerr effect
– Apply electric field along propagation direction
– Crystal with no center of symmetry -- also piezoelectric
• Delay linear in applied field -- Kerr effect quadratic
Liquid crystals
Electric field changes average orientation of molecules •
Delay depends on polarization direction –
Phase modulator or variable waveplate •
Intensity modulator needs polarizers •
Used for displays -- ex: computer monitors •
Isolators -- 2
• Faraday effect non-reciprocal
– Opposite for different propagation directions
• Put passive polarization rotator and Faraday rotator in
series
– One direction -- no effect
– Opposite direction -- rotate polarization 90°
• Polarizer blocks reflections
• Used for fiber optics, laser diodes
– performance good -- 10 - 30 dB
Passive Reflecting
Faraday rotator
Polarizer crystal element
magnet Ex: optically

active crystal

POLARZATION of Light

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POLARZATION of Light

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Polarization of Light Waves

• Each atom produces a

4 Mike Maloney 2003 ©

• The most common technique for polarizing light

• Because sin θ2 = sin(90° - θp) = cos θp , the

• In retarders, one polarization gets ‘retarded’, or delayed,

Half-Wave plate (I)

• Used to flip the linear

Half-Wave plate (II)

Quarter-Wave plate (I)

• Used to convert linear polarization to elliptical.

Quarter-Wave plate (II)

• Special case: incoming light polarized at 45º with respect to

• Conversion from linear to circular polarization (vice versa)

Circular polarization (IV)

• Linear + circular polarization = elliptical polarization

Polarizer Quarter wave

magnet Ex: optically

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