Question

A vertically polarized beam of light, having intensity 100 W/m^2 , is incident on a stack of identical linear polarizers that are arranged one behind the other so that the transmission axis of the first is vertical, the second at 45, the third at 90 with the vertical.1. Find the intensity of the emerging beam, which will be oscillating in a direction perpendicular to the incident one. 2. If we would like to rotate a polarized beam of light through an angle 90 , we can use a similar stack with N polarizers. What is the least number of polarizers needed to have the intensity of the emerging light higher than 85 W/m . 3. Can we rotate the polarized beam emerging from the first polarizer, through an angle 90 , by replacing the stack of linear polarizers with a half-wave plate (HWP)? What angle will its slow axis make with the vertical direction? Validate your response using Jones matrices.

Answer 1