Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/22

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Subject: Re: [Leica] defininition of a polarizer
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 08:20:23 -0800
 
At 08:51 AM 3/23/98 -0500, you wrote:
>JIm.
>I understand the linear polarizer, but the cir-polarizer is a little fuzzy to
>me.  Does it mean that only a portion of the light is polarized?  It has
>always seemed to me that the cir-polarizer is not near the polarizer that the
>linear polarizer is.  Am I correct?
>
>clifton
> 

I only know what I read in the literature. A 1/4 wave retarding foil is
what allows the meter to see the light, through a polarizer, without being
effected. Because the meter light beam is reflected off of a mirror (first
through a mirror), it's like double polarization, which kills the meter. I
haven't read the physics behind the 1/4 wave retarding foil. Maybe Erwin
knows.

Jim