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Physics unit 3,4

The document outlines various methods for producing plane-polarized light, including polarization by reflection, refraction, absorption, scattering, and transmission through anisotropic materials. Techniques such as using Polaroid filters, dichroic crystals, and wave plates are also discussed. Each method manipulates the electric field oscillations of light waves to achieve polarization in different ways.

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13 views7 pages

Physics unit 3,4

The document outlines various methods for producing plane-polarized light, including polarization by reflection, refraction, absorption, scattering, and transmission through anisotropic materials. Techniques such as using Polaroid filters, dichroic crystals, and wave plates are also discussed. Each method manipulates the electric field oscillations of light waves to achieve polarization in different ways.

Uploaded by

demon1997king
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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● Polarization

● Production of plane polarized light by different


methods

Producing plane-polarized (or linearly polarized) light


involves manipulating the direction of the electric field
oscillations within the light wave so they align in a single
plane. Here are some common methods used to produce
plane-polarized light:

### 1. **Polarization by Reflection**


- When light reflects off a non-metallic surface (like
glass, water, or the road), the reflected light becomes
partially polarized, with the electric field vibrating mostly in
the plane parallel to the surface.
- **Brewster’s Angle**: At a specific angle of incidence
called Brewster’s angle, the reflected light is fully
polarized. This angle depends on the refractive index of
the medium. For instance, when sunlight hits water at
Brewster’s angle, the reflected light becomes polarized
horizontally.

### 2. **Polarization by Refraction (Double


Refraction)**
- Certain materials, such as calcite or quartz, exhibit a
phenomenon called birefringence (double refraction),
where a single light ray splits into two rays (ordinary and
extraordinary) with perpendicular polarizations when
passing through the material.
- The ordinary and extraordinary rays travel at different
speeds and have different polarizations, creating two
polarized beams. By isolating one of these beams with an
optical device like a Nicol prism, plane-polarized light can
be obtained.
### 3. **Polarization by Absorption (Polaroid Filters)**
- Polaroid filters contain a special material (often chains
of polyvinyl alcohol molecules with iodine) that only
transmits light vibrating in a specific direction and absorbs
light vibrating perpendicularly.
- When unpolarized light passes through a Polaroid
filter, only the light with electric field components aligned
with the filter’s transmission axis passes through, creating
linearly polarized light.
- Polaroid sunglasses use this principle to block glare by
absorbing horizontally polarized light that reflects from
surfaces like water or roads.

### 4. **polarization by Scattering**


- When light passes through a medium containing small
particles (like the atmosphere), shorter wavelengths (such
as blue light) scatter more than longer wavelengths.
- During scattering, light waves are partially polarized
with their electric fields oscillating perpendicular to the
direction of propagation.
- This is why sunlight becomes partially polarized when
scattered in the sky, and photographers often use
polarizing filters to enhance contrast and color in sky
photography.

### 5. **Polarization by Transmission through


Anisotropic Materials**
- Certain crystalline materials are anisotropic, meaning
they have different properties in different directions. When
unpolarized light passes through such materials, only
vibrations along specific crystal axes are transmitted,
while others are absorbed or refracted.
- This is often seen with calcite crystals, where an
anisotropic material can be used to create polarized light
through selective transmission.

### 6. **Polarization by Reflection from Metallic


Surfaces**
- Although less common, polarization can occur when
light reflects off metallic or conductive surfaces. The
reflected light becomes polarized due to the complex
interaction between the light wave and the electron
structure of the metal surface, though this tends to be
elliptically rather than linearly polarized.

### 7. **Polarization by Dichroic Crystals**


- Dichroic crystals, such as tourmaline, absorb light
vibrating in one direction while allowing light vibrating
perpendicular to this direction to pass through.
- When unpolarized light enters a dichroic crystal, one
component of the light (aligned with the crystal’s
absorption axis) is absorbed, and the other component
passes through, resulting in polarized light.

### 8. **Use of Wave Plates (Retarders)**


- Wave plates are optical devices made from birefringent
materials that alter the phase difference between
orthogonal components of polarized light.
- A quarter-wave plate can transform linearly polarized
light into circularly polarized light, while a half-wave plate
can rotate the plane of polarization, effectively creating
polarized light when used in tandem with other
polarization methods.

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