Re: [Leica] defininition of a polarizer

[Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>]

At 08:51 AM 23-03-98 EST, you wrote:
>JIm.
>I understand the linear polarizer, but the cir-polarizer is a little fuzzy=
 to
>me.  Does it mean that only a portion of the light is polarized?  It has
>always seemed to me that the cir-polarizer is not near the polarizer that=
 the
>linear polarizer is.  Am I correct?
>
>clifton
>

Circular polaraization is created when light passes through a 1/4 wave
plate prior to a linear polarizer.  A 1/4 wave plate is built (in
principle) from something like calcite in which the speed of light depends
on how the electric field vector is pointed as it travels through the
crystal.  A 1/4 wave plate implies that the speed of one component is
slowed down so that is it 90=BA 'behind' the other component when it exits
the plate.  Thus the final electric field vector (a linear combination of
the two components) appears to spiral through space. =20

Now, what was the question?

Dan C.