Lecture

Birefringence and Polarization

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In course

PHYS-317: Optics I

L'optique est un vieux domaine qui touche à beaucoup de sujets modernes, des techniques expérimentales aux applications courantes. Ce premier cours traite plusieurs aspects de base de l'optique: propagation, dispersion, interférence, diffraction, polarisat ...

Description

This lecture covers the concept of birefringence in optics, where materials have two different indices of refraction depending on the polarization direction. It explains how birefringent materials like calcite can polarize light by separating polarizations in two different directions. The lecture also discusses Nicol's prism, Wollaston prism, and Glan-Foucault prism as elements that exploit birefringence to polarize light. Additionally, it delves into the use of wave plates and retarders to manipulate polarization states, including the Jones matrices representation. The lecture concludes with a detailed explanation of phase shifts and retarders in optics, showcasing how different materials can alter the polarization of light.

Instructor

Benjamin Dwir

Academic title: Dr. Birth date: 24.10.1959 Nationality: Swiss At EPFL since: 1988

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Optics: Wave polarization

Related concepts (24)

Polarization (physics)

Polarization (also polarisation) is a property of transverse waves which specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. In a transverse wave, the direction of the oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the wave. A simple example of a polarized transverse wave is vibrations traveling along a taut string (see image); for example, in a musical instrument like a guitar string. Depending on how the string is plucked, the vibrations can be in a vertical direction, horizontal direction, or at any angle perpendicular to the string.

Circular polarization

In electrodynamics, circular polarization of an electromagnetic wave is a polarization state in which, at each point, the electromagnetic field of the wave has a constant magnitude and is rotating at a constant rate in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the wave. In electrodynamics, the strength and direction of an electric field is defined by its electric field vector. In the case of a circularly polarized wave, the tip of the electric field vector, at a given point in space, relates to the phase of the light as it travels through time and space.

Elliptical polarization

In electrodynamics, elliptical polarization is the polarization of electromagnetic radiation such that the tip of the electric field vector describes an ellipse in any fixed plane intersecting, and normal to, the direction of propagation. An elliptically polarized wave may be resolved into two linearly polarized waves in phase quadrature, with their polarization planes at right angles to each other. Since the electric field can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise as it propagates, elliptically polarized waves exhibit chirality.

Linear polarization

In electrodynamics, linear polarization or plane polarization of electromagnetic radiation is a confinement of the electric field vector or magnetic field vector to a given plane along the direction of propagation. The term linear polarization (French: polarisation rectiligne) was coined by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1822. See polarization and plane of polarization for more information. The orientation of a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave is defined by the direction of the electric field vector.

Refractive index

In optics, the refractive index (or refraction index) of an optical medium is a dimensionless number that gives the indication of the light bending ability of that medium. The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. This is described by Snell's law of refraction, n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2, where θ1 and θ2 are the angle of incidence and angle of refraction, respectively, of a ray crossing the interface between two media with refractive indices n1 and n2.

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