Half-Wave Plate Polarization

Calculate ideal linear-polarization rotation through a half-wave plate.

Description

An ideal half-wave plate reflects linear-polarization angle about its optical axis.

An ideal half-wave plate reflects linear-polarization angle about its optical axis. Equivalent axes repeat every 180 degrees.^[1]

Calculate ideal linear-polarization rotation through a half-wave plate.

When to use Half-Wave Plate Polarization

Use this tool to calculate ideal linear-polarization rotation through a half-wave plate.

Prepare the optical measurements, geometry, fitted coefficients or caller-selected thresholds requested. Confirm wavelength, radius/diameter, pulse-width, angle and unit conventions before running the calculation.

How to use Half-Wave Plate Polarization and understand its results

Prepare the optical measurements, geometry, fitted coefficients or caller-selected thresholds requested. Confirm wavelength, radius/diameter, pulse-width, angle and unit conventions before running the calculation.
Enter inputPolarizationDegrees, plateAxisDegrees using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
Read outputPolarizationDegrees, rotationDegrees. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.

Input field	Meaning	Value type; see rules below	Requirement
inputPolarizationDegrees	Input polarization angle (°)	number	Required
plateAxisDegrees	Half-wave plate axis angle (°)	number	Required

Enter finite signed angles in degrees. Normalize output to [0,180) and reduce signed rotation to (−90,90], mapping −90 to +90. Return both angles.

output=(2axis−input) mod180; rotation in (−90,90]

Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.

Output field	Meaning	Value type
outputPolarizationDegrees	Output polarization angle (°)	number
rotationDegrees	Net polarization rotation (°)	number

json

{
  "input": {
    "inputPolarizationDegrees": 10,
    "plateAxisDegrees": 30
  },
  "output": {
    "outputPolarizationDegrees": 50,
    "rotationDegrees": 40
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

No wavelength-dependent retardance, ellipticity, losses or alignment error is modeled.

Numeric inputs must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use Pockels-Cell Drive: Calculate Pockels-cell retardation and ideal crossed-polarizer transmission. For a complementary task, use PBS Extinction: Calculate PBS extinction ratio, decibels, and leakage fraction.

References

Half-Wave Plate Polarization — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

Pockels-Cell Drive
Calculate Pockels-cell retardation and ideal crossed-polarizer transmission.
PBS Extinction
Calculate PBS extinction ratio, decibels, and leakage fraction.