Methods for determining the optical parameters of elliptic retarders*

Abstract

Two new methods are described for measurement of retardation introduced between the two components of polarized light that passes through an elliptically birefringent retarder. In one method, a quarter-wave-plate compensator is used. In the other, no compensators are needed and the calculations are made from the flux of light that passes through the specimen between a polarizer and an analyzer.