Wave plate orientation

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ChrisR
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Wave plate orientation

Post by ChrisR »

Needing a couple of quarter and full wave plates, I can buy plastic sheet and cut it up, but

I notice that even humble purpose-designed ones are in wee rotating mounts.
For qualitative assessment of bits of rock, how critical is the angle? If I make one that's about right, for a given microscope, is it just a question of turning the stage and polariser to align suitably?

If my orientation is say NE/SW, can they be flipped over for NW/SE?


(Of course if anyone has a Berek compensator lying around in search of a home... ??)

It still eludes me why Leitz (used to?) make such a huge range of polarising parts. Why for example a 1/10th lambda plate ?
Chris R

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