Polarization of Light

By Wilfredo Gonzales Cabagay

Why the sun shines so bright in daytime? And how to minimize its brightness?

Light is an electromagnetic wave. An electromagnetic wave is composed of perpendicular

vibrating electric and magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of the wave propagation.

Introduction
The property of polarization distinguishes transverse waves from longitudinal waves (Silverio,
2007). Transverse waves are waves that the direction of oscillations [1] was perpendicular to the
direction of the wave propagation. While longitudinal waves are waves that the direction of
oscillations were parallel to the direction of the wave propagation (Jitin, 2018). Only transverse
waves can be polarized.

All EM Waves are transverse waves. Light is an EM wave. Therefore, it can be polarized. But
only the electric field counts. Only electric field is polarized.

Why the Electric Field Counts?

Electric field vibrations are responsible for vision. The vision of our eye is due to the force
experienced by the moving charge on our retina (Rajath, 2014).

What is an Unpolarized Light?

The atoms on the surface of a heated filament, which generate light, act independently of one
another. Each of their emissions can be approximately modeled as a short wave train [2] lasting
from about 10−9 to 10−8 second. The electromagnetic wave emanating from the filament is a
superposition of these wave trains, each having its own polarization direction. The sum of the
randomly oriented wave trains results in a wave whose direction of polarization changes rapidly
and randomly (Britannica.com).

1 - Process of moving back and forth regularly (vocabulary.com).

2 - Group of waves of equal or similar wavelengths traveling in the same direction (britannica.com).
What is Polarization?
Polarization is the confinement of waves in only one plane (Silverio, 2007).

What are the directions of it?

It may be vertically plane polarized (a) and horizontally plane polarized (b) (Silverio, 2007).

What are the ways to produce Polarized Light?

It may be by reflection, double refraction, selective absorption and scattering.

Polarization by Reflection
It was first discovered by Etienne Louis Malus in 1809 that light can be polarized by reflection.
However, Sir David Brewster observed that when light strikes a nonmetallic surface (e.g. glass),
at a particular angle of incidence, the reflected ray is almost polarized. The particular angle of
incidence is called the Brewster Angle. At the Brewster angle, the reflected and the refracted
ray are perpendicular to each other.

To find the Brewster angle, Snell’s Law is used but with

some modifications. First by changing the variable for
angle of incidence (θi) to Brewster angle (θB).

So, from this equation:

𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ1 =𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ2

Will be like this:

𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ𝐵 =𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ2

Using trigonometric identities, sinθ2 will be replaced by (90°-sinθB) and it will be like this:

𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ𝐵 =𝑛2 sin⁡(90° − 𝜃𝐵 )

Again, using trigonometric identities, sin(90°-θB) will be replaced by cosθB because:

(90° − 𝜃𝐵 ) = 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃𝐵

It will be like this:

𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ𝐵 =𝑛2 𝑐𝑜𝑠θ𝐵

Cross multiplying the equation:

𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝐵 𝑛2
=
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃𝐵 𝑛1

And (sinθB)/(cosθB) is equal to tanθB. So, the equation will be like this.
𝑛
tan 𝜃𝐵 = 𝑛2
1

Polarization by Double Refraction

In considering refraction of light, all substances are isotropic, meaning they have the same
properties regardless of the direction the light travels. But there are some substances whose
index of refraction varies with direction. These substances are called anisotropic. Examples of
these are calcite, tourmaline quartz, selenite, mica, and sugar (Silverio, 2007).

Anisotropic substances exhibit the property of double refraction or birefringence. Double

refraction is an optical property in which a single ray of unpolarized light when entering an anisotropic
medium is split in two rays, each following a different direction (Britannica.com).

Light upon entering an anisotropic substance is

split into two beams: the ordinary beam which
obeys the laws of refraction, and the extraordinary
beam. In addition, the plane of polarization of
these two refracted rays are perpendicular to each
other (Silverio, 2007).

Double refraction was first discovered by

Erasmus Bartholinus (in 1669) in calcite
crystals. This was followed by Newton and
Huygens.
Polarization by Selective Absorption
Some crystalline materials absorb more light in one incident plane than another, so that light
progressing through the material become more and more polarized as they proceed.

Some anisotropic materials exhibit the property of dichroism or the ability to produce two
internal beams polarized perpendicular to each other and at the same time absorb one beam and
transmit the other. Examples of dichroic materials are Tourmaline and Polaroid.

Polaroid Tourmaline Crystal

Polarization by Scattering
The plane of polarization is perpendicular to
the plane determined by the direction of the
incident light of sight.
Intensity of Polarized Light
According to malus, when completely plane polarized light is incident on the analyzer, the
intensity I of the light transmitted by the analyzer is directly proportional to the square of the
cosine of angle between the transmission axes of the analyzer and the polarizer.

𝐼=𝐼o 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃

And for the Polarizer, the equation is:

1
𝐼𝐼 = 𝐼
2 𝑜

Applications
Polarizing filters are used in camera and Polaroid sunglasses are used to reduce glare. Glares
usually comes from horizontally polarized light. These sunglasses and filters were designed so
that the transmission axis of the Polaroid is oriented vertically, thus, preventing glares.

Polarized Light is also used in analytic chemistry and in engineering. Many compounds and
materials have the ability to rotate the plane of polarization.

References:

Malus Law. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.physicshandbook.com/laws/maluslaw.htm

Polarization by Absorption. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hyperphysics.phy-

astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/polabs.html

Silverio, A. A. (2007). Polarization. In Exploring Life through Science: Physics (pp. 481-485).
Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House.