Polarizer Setup: How Does Rotating Change Polarization?

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Rotating the entire polarizer setup affects the polarization of the outgoing beam due to the interaction of the laser light with the mirrors. The arrangement of the mirrors at specific angles allows for the partial polarization of the light as it reflects off their surfaces. When unpolarized light strikes the mirrors, the reflection process leads to the emergence of polarized light, as reflection tends to favor certain polarization states. The HeNe laser used in the experiment emits light that is inherently polarized, which can influence the overall polarization of the outgoing beam. Understanding the mechanics of light reflection and polarization is crucial in analyzing how the setup modifies the light's properties.
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http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9050/polarizerya6.jpg

I apologize for my bad sketch.

Hi,

I need help understanding how this setup changes the polarization of the outgoing beam if the entire setup is rotated.

There are 3 mirrors (gold): 2 mirrors are adjacent and set at 30 degrees, and the third mirror is directly centered above the first 2 mirrors. The laser beam strikes the first mirror (left) at the center, then strikes the center of the top mirror, and finally propagates to the third mirror and gets reflected out.

The laser beam I'm using to test this home-made polarizer is a basic HeNe laser.

Question: How can an incident unpolarized light become polarized outgoing by rotating the entire setup? (All three mirrors are connected to the same aluminum module).

I can only see how POLARIZED (s or p) light can work with this setup, but not unpolarized light. Is the laser beam in fact polarized?

Thanks.
 
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Reflection partially polarizes light perpendicular to the plane formed by the incident and reflected beam.
 
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