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Thermodynamics

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Quarter Wave Plate

It is a plate of doubly refracting uniaxial crystal of calcite or quartz of suitable thickness whose refracting faces are cut parallel to the direction of the optic axis. The incident plane-polarized light is perpendicular to its surface and the ordinary and the extraordinary rays travel along the same direction with different velocities. If the thickness of the plate is t and the refractive indices for the ordinary and the extraordinary rays are and respectively, then the path difference introduced between the two rays is given by:

For negative crystals, path difference =

For positive crystals, path difference =

To produce a path difference of λ/4, in calcite

And in the case of quartz,

If the plane-polarized light, whose plane of vibration is inclined at an angle of 45˚ to the optic axis, is incident on a quarter wave plate, the emergent light is circularly polarized.