Polarization by Reflection

Polarization of light by reflection from the surface of glass was discovered by Malus in 1808. He found that polarized light is obtained when ordinary light is reflected by a plane sheet of glass. Consider the light incident along the path AB on the glass surface. Light is reflected along BC. In the path of BC, place a tourmaline crystal and rotate it slowly. It will be observed that light is completely extinguished only at one particular angle of incidence. This angle of incidence is equal to 57.5˚C for a glass surface and is known as the polarizing angle. Similarly polarized light by reflection can be produced from water surface also.

The production of polarized light by glass explained as follows. The vibrations of the incident light can be resolved into components parallel to the glass surface and perpendicular to the glass surface. Light due to the components parallel to the glass surface is reflected whereas light due to the components perpendicular to the glass surface is transmitted.

Thus the light reflected by glass is plane polarized and can be detected by a tourmaline crystal.

The polarized light has been analyzed by using another mirror by Biot.

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