Does polarization affect the results of the 2-slit experiment

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SUMMARY

The polarization of light does not significantly affect the interference pattern in the two-slit experiment, provided there are no anisotropic materials in the light paths. The key factors influencing the pattern are the wavelength of the light and the distance between the slits. While the polarization state of the light should be identical before each slit, the introduction of a quarter-wave plate can alter fringe amplitude by changing the polarization state of one arm of the interferometer.

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edguy99
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The wavelength of the light and the width of the distance between the slits affects the pattern of the two slit experiment. My question is: Does the polarization of the light (vertical, horizontal or circular) affect the pattern of the two slit experiment.

Thanks
 
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edguy99 said:
The wavelength of the light and the width of the distance between the slits affects the pattern of the two slit experiment. My question is: Does the polarization of the light (vertical, horizontal or circular) affect the pattern of the two slit experiment.

Thanks

No, normally not, as long as there aren't any anisotropic (birefringent) materials in the paths.
 
edguy99 said:
The wavelength of the light and the width of the distance between the slits affects the pattern of the two slit experiment. My question is: Does the polarization of the light (vertical, horizontal or circular) affect the pattern of the two slit experiment.

Thanks

The 2-slit experiment requires that the incoming wavefront be spatially coherent; the polarization state of the light just prior to each slit should be identical. The transmission of each slit may have a polarization dependence, so that can affect the overall brightness of the pattern, but it should not affect the pattern in any meaningful way.

Adding, for example, a quarter-wave plate prior to one slit will change the fringe amplitude, because by rotating the plate I change the polarization state of one arm of the interferometer.
 

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