Page 149 - Fundamentals of Light Microscopy and Electronic Imaging

132 PROPERTIES OF POLARIZED LIGHT

Circularly
polarized ray

E wave

O wave
Elliptically
polarized ray

Figure 8-11
The waveforms of elliptically and circularly polarized light. O and E rays following the same propagation
axis but vibrating in mutually perpendicular planes cannot interfere, but can be combined by vector
addition. Depending on the relative phase difference between the two rays, the resultant wave may be
linear or take on the form of a spiraling ellipse or circle. With a phase displacement of /4, the waveform
is a circle.

A

Phase retardation ( ) O or m /8 /4 3 /8 /2 5 /8 3 /4 7 /8
and resultant wave
form leaving object

Amplitude of O
transmitted component
at analyzer

P

Figure 8-12
Effect of relative phase shift between O and E rays on the waveform of polarized light. Waves
resulting from the combination of superimposed O and E rays have elliptical, spherical, or
planar waveforms, depending on the amount of relative phase shift between the two rays.
The orientations of the transmission axes of the polarizer and analyzer are indicated. The
amplitudes of the components of vibration passing the analyzer are also shown.