1. WAVEPLATES PLATE RETARDERS

2. A wave plate or retarder is an optical device that alters the polarization state of a light wave traveling through it. Waveplate (Retarders) Full Wave Plate Half Wave Plate Quarter Wave Plate

4. Optical path length Phase difference

5. Quarter wave, Half wave and Full wave

6. Half-Wave Plate

7. Desired ResultMethod Change linear polarization to circular polarization. Change circular polarization to linear Change the handedness of circular polarization Rotate linear polarization to a more desirable orientation Insert a λ/4 plate with axis at 45° to the input polarization Insert a λ/4 plate with axis at 45° to the desired output polarization. Insert a λ/2 plate – orientation unimportant. Insert a λ/2 plate with axis at ½ the desired rotation.

8. Interference of polarized light Fresnel-Arago laws 1.Two coherent rays polarised at right angles do not interfere 2. Two parallel coherent polarised rays will interfere in the same way as will ordinary light

9. Optical Activity

10. The two hands are "non-superimposable mirror images".

11. An optically active compound and its mirror image are called enantiomers or optical isomers

13. Optically active medium

14. Polarimetry

15. Sugar, Glucose and Fructose Sugar (Sucrose or Cane sugar) Glucose-D ( Dextrose or Grape sugar) Fructose (Levulose or Fruit sugar) Specific rotation 52.7 66.47 - 92 o o o

16. Half Shade plate A OO´O´ E´EE´E Q´Q´ Q 

18. Polarizing Sunglass Antiglare screen

19. Problem Unpolarized light of intensity I 0 is incident normally on three polaroid sheets P1, P2 and P3 all arranged in series. The pass axis of each polaroid sheet makes an angle of 45 0 with the earlier sheet. (i)What is the intensity of the transmitted beam? (ii)What is the intensity of the transmitted beam if the Polaroid sheet P2 is replaced with a quarter wave plate Q2 with its optic axis along the pass axis of P2?