What does quarter-wave plate mean?
Definitions for quarter-wave plate
quar·ter-wave plate
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word quarter-wave plate.
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Wiktionary
quarter-wave platenoun
a sheet of birefringent material whose thickness is such that the light associated with the larger refractive index is retarded in phase by 90° with respect of that associated with the smaller refractive index; used to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light
Wikipedia
quarter-wave plate
A waveplate or retarder is an optical device that alters the polarization state of a light wave travelling through it. Two common types of waveplates are the half-wave plate, which shifts the polarization direction of linearly polarized light, and the quarter-wave plate, which converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light and vice versa. A quarter-wave plate can be used to produce elliptical polarization as well. Waveplates are constructed out of a birefringent material (such as quartz or mica, or even plastic), for which the index of refraction is different for light linearly polarized along one or the other of two certain perpendicular crystal axes. The behavior of a waveplate (that is, whether it is a half-wave plate, a quarter-wave plate, etc.) depends on the thickness of the crystal, the wavelength of light, and the variation of the index of refraction. By appropriate choice of the relationship between these parameters, it is possible to introduce a controlled phase shift between the two polarization components of a light wave, thereby altering its polarization.A common use of waveplates—particularly the sensitive-tint (full-wave) and quarter-wave plates—is in optical mineralogy. Addition of plates between the polarizers of a petrographic microscope makes the optical identification of minerals in thin sections of rocks easier, in particular by allowing deduction of the shape and orientation of the optical indicatrices within the visible crystal sections. This alignment can allow discrimination between minerals which otherwise appear very similar in plane polarized and cross polarized light.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of quarter-wave plate in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of quarter-wave plate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
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"quarter-wave plate." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/quarter-wave+plate>.
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