Polarization
Polarization
1. Introduction
When ordinary light is passed through a pair of tourmaline crystal plates P1 and P2 with their
planes at right angles to the direction of propagation of light [Fig. 1.1 (a)], the intensity is
maximum in this position.
When the plane of P2 is rotated through 90°, i.e. the plane of P2 is perpendicular to the plane
of P1 [Fig. 1.1 (b)], the intensity is minimum in this case.
(a) (b)
Fig. 1.1
This shows that light is a transverse wave motion. It is also clear that after passing through
the crystal P1, the light vibrates only in one direction, i.e. it is polarized.
When the vibrations are confined along a single direction at right angles to the direction of
propagation, the light is said as plane polarized.
If the vibrations are along a circle or an ellipse lying in a plane normal to the direction of
propagation, the light is said to be circularly or elliptically polarized respectively.
Representation of various Types of Light
Unpolarised Light
The ordinary light also called as unpolarised light, consists of a very large number of
vibrations in all planes with equal probability at right angles to the direction of propagation.
Hence the unpolarized light is represented by a star as shown in Fig. 1.2.
Fig. 1.2
Plane Polarized Light
In plane polarized light the vibrations are along a straight line because a plane polarized light
wave is a wave in which the electric vector is everywhere confined to a single plane.
Engineering Physics Dr. Mrs. S. A. Jagadale
Polarization
If the direction of vibration is parallel to the plane of paper, it is represented by a straight
line arrow as shown in Fig. 1.3 (a)
If the direction of vibration is perpendicular to the plane of the paper, it is represented by a
dot as shown in Fig. 1.3 (b).
Fig. 1.3 (a) Fig. 1.3 (b)
2. Optical Activity
When a beam of plane polarized light propagates through a sugar solution, the plane of
polarization steadily turns about the direction of the beam, as illustrated in Fig. 1.4.
The ability to rotate the plane of polarization of plane polarized light by certain substance is
called optical activity.
Fig. 1.4
Substances, which have the ability to rotate the plane of the polarized light passing through
them, are called optically active substances.
Quartz and cinnabar are examples of optically active crystals while turpentine, tartaric acid
and aqueous solution of sugar etc are optically active liquids and solutions.
Optically active substances are classified into two types :
Dextrorotatory substances :
Substances, which rotates the plane of polarization of the light towards the right, are known
as right-handed or dextrorotatory. The observations find the rotation-taking place in
clockwise direction.
Engineering Physics Dr. Mrs. S. A. Jagadale
Polarization
Laevorotatory substances :
Substances, which rotates the plane of polarization of the light towards the left, are known as
left-handed or laevorotatory. The observations find the rotation-taking place in anti-
clockwise direction.
3. Specific Rotation
If an optically active material is kept between two crossed polarizers, the field of view
becomes bright. In order to get darkness once again, the analyzer has to be rotated through an
angle. The angle through which the analyzer is rotated equals the angle through which the
plane of polarization is rotated by the optically active substance.
This angle depends on
(a) the thickness of the substance, (l)
(b) density of the material or concentration of the solution, (c)
(c) wavelength of light, and
(d) the temperature.
The amount of rotation caused by crystalline materials is given by
= l
In solutions the amount of rotation is given by
= scl
where c = is the concentration
s = the specific rotation.
The specific rotation for a given wavelength of light at a given temperature is defined
conventionally as the rotation produced by one decimetre long column of the solution
containing 1gm of optically active material per c.c .of solution.
Rotation in deg 10
S = = = … (11)
l c Length in decimeter con. in gm/cc l(cm ) c
Engineering Physics Dr. Mrs. S. A. Jagadale
