A photographer stacks six ideal linear polarising filters
PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Optics & Photonics · Polarisation and anisotropic media · Polarisation and anisotropic media
Optics and Photonics, Ch Polarisation states, polarisers and the Jones and Stokes calculus
Problem
A photographer stacks six ideal linear polarising filters, with transmission axes at 0, 18, 36, 54, 72 and 90 degrees (equal steps of 18 degrees), and shines unpolarised light of irradiance I0 through the stack from the 0-degree end.
((a)) Find the transmitted irradiance as a fraction of I0.
((b)) If instead N sheets are used, equally spaced from 0 to 90 degrees, find what the transmitted fraction tends to as N→∞, and explain why.