Transformation of polarization state of the light using wave plates
with arbitrary phase difference.
Władysław A. WOŹNIAK1, Florian RATAJCZYK2, Piotr KURZYNOWSKI3
ABSTRACT
The practical problem of lack of quarterwave plate for arbitrary wavelength has been solved. It has been shown
that one can substitute this plate with a combination of two (or more) phase plates with phase shift different from
90°. Some formulae have been derived for several most important cases of application of wave plates in
measurement setup: transformation of the linear polarization state into the circular and circular into the linear
one, synthesis of the elliptically polarized light with arbitrary parameters and transformation of elliptically
polarized light into the linear one. All formulae are valid for arbitrary phase difference of component plates.
Key words: BIREFRINGENCE, WAVE PLATE, PHASE DIFFERENCE
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Władysław A. Woźniak, Ph.D., Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław,
Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, phone: +48-071-3202395, e-mail: wozniak@if.pwr.wroc.pl
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Florian Ratajczyk, Prof. Ph.D., Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław,
Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, phone: +48-071-3202395, e-mail: flor-rat@if.pwr.wroc.pl
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Piotr Kurzynowski, Ph.D., Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław,
Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, phone: +48-071-3202395, e-mail: pietras@if.pwr.wroc.pl
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