2.

Qualitative description about the various

polarizations.
 Retarders

• Inretarders, 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.

3
Phase shift of half wavelength
Quarter Wave plate
Circular polarization (IV)

7
Incident Reflected
ray ray

p p
o
n1
90
n2
r

n1sin P = n2sin r
n1sin P = n2sin r = n2sin (90-P) = n2cos P

tan P = n2/n1

P = Brewster’s angel
 Reflection
• When an unpolarized wave reflects off a nonmetallic surface, the
reflected wave is partially plane polarized parallel to the surface. The
amount of polarization depends upon the angle (more later).

The reflected ray contains

more vibrations parallel to
the reflecting surface while
the transmitted beam
contains more vibrations at
right angles to these.
 Applications
• Knowing that reflected light or glare from
surfaces is at least partially plane polarized,
one can use Polaroid sunglasses. The
polarization axes of the lenses are vertical as
the glare usually comes from reflection off
horizontal surfaces.
Polarized Lens on a Camera

Reduce Reflections
Optic Axis
 Beam propagation in anisotropic crystals

Optic axis of a crystal is the direction in which a ray of transmitted

light suffers no birefringence (double refraction). Light propagates
along that axis with a speed independent of its polarization

However, if the light beam is not parallel to the optical axis, then, when
passing through the crystal the beam is split into two rays: the ordinary
and extraordinary, to be mutually perpendicular polarized.

A crystal which has only one optic axis is called uniaxial crystal.
A crystal which has only two optic axis is called biaxial crystal.
Calcite experiment and double refraction
O E

Fig 6-8 Bloss, Optical

Crystallography, MSA

Fig 6-7 Bloss, Optical

Crystallography, MSA
How light behaves depends on crystal structure
(there is a reason you took mineralogy!)

Isotropic Isometric
– All crystallographic axes are equal
Uniaxial
Hexagonal, trigonal, tetragonal
– All axes  c are equal but c is unique
Biaxial
Orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic
– All axes are unequal

Let’s use all of this information to help us identify minerals

 Thin layer of balsam cement
with n = 1.55

Other Crystallographic systems: Orthorhombic,

monoclinic, and triclinic have two optic axes and
are biaxial.
For example, Mica KH2Al3(SiO4)3 has three
different indices n.

Birefringent devices – Separation

of the o- and e- rays.
• Optic axis of a uniaxial crystal is the high-
order symmetry axis
Extent of Birefringence
Index Ellipsoid and classification of Crystal

ne

n0
n0

n0 = n0 > n e

For Uniaxial crystal

Wave surfaces of Ordinary and Extraordinary rays
Dependence of refractive index of extraordinary ray:

The refractive index of ‘e’ ray depends on the direction

of propagation relative to optic axis.

Where is angle between propagation vector and

Optic axis

The index of refraction varies from

n(θ) = no for θ = 0o
n(θ) = ne for θ = 900
Wave surfaces of Ordinary and Extraordinary rays
 Huygen’s Explanation of Double Refraction

• Spherical wavelet associated with ordinary waves

• Ellipsoidal wavelet associated with extraordinary waves.

 Dependence of incident angle and propagation properties of light

a) When optic axis is inclined to some angle to the incident light.

b) When optic axis is perpendicular to incident light.

c) When optic axis is parallel to incident light direction.

 Huygen’s wavefront theory

Every point on a wave-front may be considered a source of secondary spherical wavelets

which spread out in the forward direction at the speed of light. The new wave-front is the
tangential surface to all of these secondary wavelets.
Effect of Incident Angle