Circularly polarized light through a polarimeter

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of circularly polarized light as it passes through a polarimeter, specifically one constructed with two crossed photoelastic modulators (PEMs) and a polarizer. Participants explore the implications of this setup, comparing it to the behavior of linearly polarized light and discussing the technical aspects of the polarimeter's configuration.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the effects of circularly polarized light in a polarimeter setup that includes crossed PEMs and a polarizer.
  • Others question how linearly polarized light behaves in the same context, suggesting that understanding this may help in extending the analysis to circularly polarized light.
  • There is a discussion about the configuration of the PEMs, with one participant clarifying that crossed PEMs are oriented at 0 degrees and 45 degrees.
  • Some participants express confusion about the terminology and structure of the polarimeter, particularly regarding the definition and role of PEMs.
  • A participant suggests that writing out the Jones matrix for the instrument could aid in understanding the optical behavior, though they express uncertainty about the specific matrix for an oriented PEM.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the implications of circularly polarized light passing through the polarimeter, and multiple viewpoints regarding the configuration and behavior of the light remain present.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the specific properties of the PEMs and how they interact with different polarizations of light. The discussion also reflects a dependency on the definitions and configurations of the optical elements involved.

lcr2139
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What happens when circularly polarized light goes through a polarimeter? In my experiment the polarimeter is made up of two crossed PEMs and a polarizer.
 
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Also, what about linearly polarized light?
 
how does the angle of the polarizer fit into this problem?
 
lcr2139 said:
What happens when circularly polarized light goes through a polarimeter?

Interestingly, a monochromatic linearly polarized light beam can be considered as a superposition of two circularly polarized electromagnetic waves that are propagating in the same direction with the same frequency but the opposite sense of rotation. see the animation of circularly polarized light ...

see the details<http://ja01.chem.buffalo.edu/~jochena/research/opticalactivity.html>
it may help...
 
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lcr2139 said:
What happens when circularly polarized light goes through a polarimeter? In my experiment the polarimeter is made up of two crossed PEMs and a polarizer.

What kind of polarimeter/ellipsometer? Also, what is a PEM?
 
a polarizer is made up of 2 PEMs and a polarizer. It is not a single optical element. A PEM is a photoelastic modulator.
 
The first part is probably a typo. If a polarizer includes a polarizer, you will have an infinite regression. :)
But what do you mean by crossed PEMs?
 
crossed PEMs mean that one is at 0 degrees and the other is at 45 degrees.
 
lcr2139 said:
What happens when circularly polarized light goes through a polarimeter? In my experiment the polarimeter is made up of two crossed PEMs and a polarizer.
If you know how a linearly polarized light is affected by a polarimeter, extending it to circularly polarized light is not too difficult.
 
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  • #10
crossed PEMs mean that one is at 0 degrees and the other is at 45 degrees.
What feature of the PEM is at these angle?
 
  • #11
lcr2139 said:
a polarizer is made up of 2 PEMs and a polarizer. It is not a single optical element. A PEM is a photoelastic modulator.

Zoiks... sounds complicated.

Well, the easiest way to proceed is to write out the Jones matrix for the instrument. I'm not sure what the Jones matrix is for an oriented PEM, but my guess is that it is similar to an elliptic retarder

http://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Paper/10.1117/12.429559
https://books.google.com/books?id=y...&q="jones matrix" "elliptic retarder"&f=false
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_calculus#cite_note-5
 

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