Waveplate
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Article
10 sectionsContents
- Principles of operation
- Plate types
- Half-wave plate
- Quarter-wave plate
- Full-wave, or sensitive-tint plate
- Multiple-order vs. zero-order waveplates
- Use in mineralogy and optical petrology
- See also
- References
- External links
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Linearly polarized light entering a half-wave plate can be resolved into two waves, parallel and perpendicular to the optic axis of the waveplate. In the plate, the parallel wave propagates slightly slower than the perpendicular one. At the far side of the plate, the parallel wave is exactly half of a wavelength delayed relative to the perpendicular wave, and the resulting combination is a mirror-image of the entry polarization state (relative to the optic axis).