Rotation of the Plane of Polarization of Light definition of Rotation of the Plane of Polarization of Light in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Rotation of the Plane of Polarization of Light

the turning of the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light as it passes through matter.

Rotation of the plane of polarization of light is observed in mediums that have double circular refraction—that is, different indexes of refraction for right and left circularly polarized rays of light. A linearly polarized beam of light may be represented as the result of the superposition of two rays that are propagating in the same direction and are circularly polarized with opposite directions of rotation. If two such rays propagate in a body at different velocities, this leads to rotation of the plane of polarization of the total ray.

Rotation of the plane of polarization of light may be caused either by peculiarities of the internal structure of a substance or by an external magnetic field. It is observed, as a rule, in optically isotropic bodies—for example, cubic crystals, liquids, solutions, and gases. The phenomenon of rotation of the plane of polarization of light is utilized in studying the structure of matter and in determining the concentration of optically active molecules (for example, sugar) in solutions, as well as in a number of optical instruments (optical modulators, shutters, valves, and quantum gyroscopes).

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