Quick Note

QuickNote
(A Five Minute Tutorial)

Main Concepts To Learn:
- Linearly polarized light
- Circularly polarized light
- Elliptically polarize light
- Jones Vectors
A Quick Step-By-Step For Each Topic:

Linearly polarized light:
1. The applet starts with a linearly polarized light in the x-polarization
2. Now change the x and y components of polarization without changing the phase. Notice how the orientation of the polarization changes but the light is still linearly polarized.
3. This time change the relative phase (phase of the y component relative to the x component) to , then change the x and y components. Again the the light is still linearly polarized
4. Therefore the x and y components of linearly polarized light are in phase (relative phase = 0) or out of phase (relative phase = π).
Circularly polarized light:
1. Set the x and y components to 5.0a each, so both the x and y components have the same magnitude.
2. Set the relative phase to Now you get a right hand circularly polarized light.
3. Now set the relative to 3π/2 (same as -π/2). Now you get a left hand circularly polarized light.
Elliptically polarized light:
1. Arbitrarily set the x and y components of polarization.
2. Arbitrarily set relative phase.
3. Now you get an elliptically polarized light. Then the only condition on an elliptically polarized light is that the x and y components must have same wavelength. This also shows that linearly polarized light and circularly polarized light are just special cases of elliptically polarized light.