PC20312 Wave Optics Section 2: Polarization
Polarization states Image from Wikipedia linearcircularelliptical
Linear and circular polarization
Dipole radiation /~hira/hobby/edu/em/dipole2/dipole2.html E Optical E-field……drives oscillating dipoles in the medium… …which radiate in all directions except parallel to E.
Polarization by reflection Click here for a web-based animation of Brewster’s angle E perpendicular to plane of incidence “s-polarised” Emission always max in direction of E r E parallel to plane of incidence “p-polarised” Emission amplitude varies with direction of E r EiEi ErEr EtEt EiEi ErEr EtEt
Brewster’s angle, B Sir David Brewster EiEi E r =0 EtEt tt BB ntnt nini P-polarised light
Polarization by scattering E in vertical no vertical scattering E in horiz. no horiz. scattering Animation from For unpolarised incident light the scattered light is: Completely polarised in vertical horiz directions Partially polarised in intermediate directions unpolarised polarised partially polarised
Polarized light in nature Image from Wikipedia Unfiltered imageImage seen through polarising filter
Polaroid PVA structure from Polaroid sheet eg aligned PVA molecules E cos E sin E cos E-field component aligned with long axis of molecule is absorbed E
Malus’ Law Etienne-Louis Malus
Anisotropic Materials Image from Wikipedia Calcite CaCO 3 EyEy ExEx PyPy PxPx n o = & n e =1.486 (at =590 nm) For calcite:
Birefringence E o perpendicular to k & optic axis E e perpendicular to E o z y x k EoEo EeEe Optic Axis EoEo
Double Refraction Image from Wikipedia unpolarised light Optic Axis e-ray o-ray For calcite, typical angle between beams ~6
Polarizing Beamsplitter polarised light unpolarised light Optic Axis points towards you polarised light calcite transparent glue o-ray e-ray Photo from
Waveplates Optic Axis d z y x n o >n e : Optic Axis is ‘fast’ n e >n o : Optic Axis is ‘slow’ Photo from In this diagram, is the optic axis slow or fast?
The Faraday Effect Image from Material V (rad.T -1.m -1 ) Glass 9.2 Water 3.8 Air 1.8 Quartz 4.8 Terbium Gallium Garnet -40
Faraday Isolator 45 P1P1 P2P2 E B P1P1 P2P2 B E