PHY 221 - Optics Laboratory

Course Instructor - Raghwinder Singh Grewal

Experiment 6

Experiment 6: Quarter Wave Plate

Laksh Gupta (AU2020152)

Contents
1 Aim of the Experiment 2

2 Theory 2
2.1 Birefringence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2 Nicol Prism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.3 Quarter Wave Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3 Apparatus 3

4 Procedure & Calculation 3

5 Observation Table 4

6 Error Analysis 6

7 Results, Discussion & Conclusion 7

1 Aim of the Experiment
To measure the light intensity as a function of the analyser position

2 Theory
2.1 Birefringence
Birefringence is the optical property of a material having a refractive index
that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light. These
optically anisotropic materials are said to be birefringent (or birefractive).
The birefringence is often quantified as the maximum difference between
refractive indices exhibited by the material. Crystals with non-cubic crystal
structures are often birefringent, as are plastics under mechanical stress.

2.2 Nicol Prism

A Nicol prism is a type of polarizer, an optical device made from calcite
crystal used to produce and analyse plane polarized light. It is made in
such a way that it eliminates one of the rays by total internal reflection, i.e.
the ordinary ray is eliminated and only the extraordinary ray is transmitted
through the prism. It was the first type of polarizing prism, invented in 1828
by William Nicol (1770–1851) of Edinburgh. It consists of a rhombohedral
crystal of Iceland spar (a variety of calcite) that has been cut at an angle of
68° with respect to the crystal axis, cut again diagonally, and then rejoined
as shown, using a layer of transparent Canada balsam as a glue.

2.3 Quarter Wave Plate

A quarter-wave plate consists of a carefully adjusted thickness of a birefrin-
gent material such that the light associated with the larger index of refraction
is retarded by 90° in phase (a quarter wavelength) with respect to that as-
sociated with the smaller index. The material is cut so that the optic axis
is parallel to the front and back plates of the plate. Any linearly polarized
light which strikes the plate will be divided into two components with differ-
ent indices of refraction. One of the useful applications of this device is to
convert linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light and vice versa.
This is done by adjusting the plane of the incident light so that it makes 45°

2
angle with the optic axis. This gives equal amplitude o- and e-waves. When
the o-wave is slower, as in calcite, the o-wave will fall behind by 90° in phase,
producing circularly polarized light.

Figure 1: Apparatus for the experiment

3 Apparatus
• LASER
• Polariser
• Analyser
• Optical Bench
• Photodiode

4 Procedure & Calculation

• Setup the apparatus as shown is the figure above.
• Fix the polariser angle (θ) and measure the current reading.
• Rotate the analyser from -90 to +90 degrees (ϕ
• Repeat this for θ = 0, 30, 50 and 60 degrees.

3
5 Observation Table
Below are two tables. First tables reads the current measured during the
experiment. Second table reads the expected values of current at particular
ϕ and θ.

0◦ 30◦ 50◦ 60◦

ϕ
Iexp (mA) Iexp (mA) Iexp (mA) Iexp (mA)
-90 0.00 6.75 15.59 20.42
-80 0.53 6.97 15.48 19.98
-70 2.94 8.02 15.13 18.91
-60 6.52 9.88 14.67 17.02
-50 11.02 11.93 13.98 14.76
-40 15.64 15.02 12.96 12.47
-30 20.87 17.14 12.11 10.03
-20 24.64 19.04 11.38 8.05
-10 27.04 20.11 10.93 7.07
0 27.87 20.34 10.79 6.25
10 27.13 19.98 10.87 7.23
20 24.78 18.65 11.45 8.07
30 20.89 16.95 12.17 10.04
40 16.09 14.91 12.83 12.13
50 10.97 12.57 13.72 14.97
60 6.36 9.82 14.56 17.35
70 2.56 8.04 15.27 19.34
80 0.33 6.37 15.58 20.58
90 0.01 6.64 15.69 20.78

Table 1: Experimental Values of Current when set at particular θ with vary-

ing ϕ

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 0◦ 30◦ 50◦ 60◦
ϕ
Itheo (mA) Itheo (mA) Itheo (mA) Itheo (mA)
-90 0.00 7.15 16.78 21.45
-80 0.86 7.58 16.63 21.02
-70 3.35 8.82 16.20 19.78
-60 7.15 10.72 15.54 17.88
-50 11.82 13.06 14.73 15.54
-40 16.78 15.54 13.87 13.06
-30 21.45 17.87 13.06 10.72
-20 25.25 19.78 12.40 8.82
-10 27.74 21.02 11.97 7.58
0 28.60 21.45 11.82 7.15
10 27.74 21.02 11.97 7.58
20 25.25 19.78 12.40 8.82
30 21.45 17.87 13.06 10.72
40 16.78 15.54 13.87 13.06
50 11.82 13.06 14.73 15.54
60 7.15 10.72 15.54 17.88
70 3.35 8.82 16.20 19.78
80 0.86 7.58 16.63 21.02
90 0.00 7.15 16.78 21.45

Table 2: Theoretical Values of Current when set at particular θ with varying

ϕ

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6 Error Analysis
Below are the difference in theoretical and experimental values of current.

0◦ 30◦ 50◦ 60◦

ϕ
Itheo - Iexp Itheo - Iexp Itheo - Iexp Itheo - Iexp
-90 0.00 0.40 1.19 1.03
-80 0.33 0.61 1.15 1.04
-70 0.41 0.80 1.07 0.87
-60 0.63 0.84 0.87 0.86
-50 0.80 1.13 0.75 0.78
-40 1.14 0.52 0.91 0.59
-30 0.58 0.73 0.95 0.69
-20 0.61 0.74 1.02 0.77
-10 0.70 0.91 1.04 0.51
0 0.73 1.11 1.03 0.90
10 0.61 1.04 1.10 0.35
20 0.47 1.13 0.95 0.75
30 0.56 0.92 0.89 0.68
40 0.69 0.63 1.04 0.93
50 0.85 0.49 1.01 0.57
60 0.79 0.90 0.98 0.53
70 0.79 0.78 0.93 0.44
80 0.53 1.21 1.05 0.44
90 -0.01 0.51 1.09 0.67

Table 3: Difference in theoretical and experimental values of current

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7 Results, Discussion & Conclusion

0° 30° 50° 60°

30.00

20.00
Intensity

10.00

0.00
-75 -50 -25 0 25 50 75

phi

Figure 2: Experimental values of intensity at different phi and theta values.

0° 30° 50° 60°

30.00

20.00
Intensity

10.00

0.00
-75 -50 -25 0 25 50 75

phi

Figure 3: Theoretical values of intensity at different phi and theta values.

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 Figure 2 shows the theoretical values of intensity and figure 3 shows exper-
imentally obtained values of intensity. The graphs could be surely assumed
to follow the following equation:

I = Eo2 (cos2 ϕcos2 θ + sin2 ϕsin2 θ) (1)