From last time Mathematical description

Inductors in circuits -
I? z
y
+ E = E o cos( kz t)

B = Bo cos( kz t) EB Bo = E o /c
EM waves
2
k= , = 2f


Propagation direction = E B

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 1 Tue. Nov. 9, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 20 2

Question: Radiation Pressure

At a particular instant, an EM wave has an Saw EM waves carry energy
E-field pointing in the y-direction and a B- They also have momentum
field pointing in the x-direction. The When object absorbs energy U from EM wave:
propagation direction is Momentum p is transferred
z Power
A.z D. -z p = U /c ( Will see this later in QM )
y
U /t
Result is a force F = p /t = = P /c
B.y E. -y

c Intensity
x
Pressure = Force/Area = P /A
C.X F. -x prad = = I /c
c
Radiationpressure
on perfectly absorbing object
Tue. Nov. 9, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 20 3 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 4

Radiation pressure & force Question

A perfectly reflecting square solar sail is 107m X 107m. It has
EM wave incident on surface exerts a radiation pressure
a mass of 100kg. It starts from rest near the Earths orbit,
prad (force/area) proportional to intensity I.
where the suns EM radiation has an intensity of 1300 W/m2.
Perfectly absorbing (black) surface: prad = I /c How fast is it moving after 1 hour?
Perfectly reflecting (mirror) surface: prad = 2I /c
Resulting force = (radiation pressure) x (area) A. 100 m/s
B. 56 m/s
prad = 2I /c
C. 17 m/s 2(1300W /m 2 )(1.145 10 4 m 2 )
Frad = prad A = 2IA /c = = 0.1N
D. 3.6 m/s 3 2
3 10 8 m /s
a = Frad /m = 10 m /s
E. 0.7 m/s v = at = (103 m /s2 )( 3600s) = 3.6m /s

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 5 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 6

1
 Another way to draw x Polarization of EM waves
EM wave z Usually indicate the polarization direction by
indicating only the E-field.
y
Can then be indicated with a line:

Plane Polarized Unpolarized

x
Since E perpendicular B, only
need show E y
x z
Wave propagating toward us

E = E o cos( kz t) x shown z y E = E o cos( kz t) x
Superposition of
B = Bo cos( kz t) y not shown B = Bo cos( kz t) y plane polarized waves

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 7 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 8

Producing polarized light Effect of linear polarizer

Polarization by selective absorption: material that transmits
waves whose E-field vibrates in a plain parallel to a certain
After passing through
direction and absorbs all others
linear polarizer, light is
This polarization polarized along the
absorbed transmission axis

This polarization
transmitted
transmission axis

Long-chain hydrocarbon Polaroid sheet

molecules
Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Demo on MW and metal grid
Physics 208, Lecture 21 9 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 10

Superposition Transmission at an angle

Electric fields sum as vectors Plane-polarized y
Add two different polarized EM waves
incident wave
E inc = E o cos( kx t )
x
Incident wave is equivalent polarizer
+ = to
superposition
( E inc cos ) x + ( E inc sin ) y
transmitted absorbed

Transmitted wave =

E trans = E o cos cos( kx t ) x transmission

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 11 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 12

2
 Detecting linearly polarized light Malus law
Polarizer
transmits component of E-field parallel to transmission axis
absorbs component of E-field perpendicular to transmission axis

Transmitted intensity: I = I0cos2 I0 = intensity of polarized

beam on analyzer (Malus law)

Allowed component
parallel to analyzer axis
Transmitted amplitude is Eocos
(component of polarization along polarizer axis)
Transmitted intensity is Iocos2
( square of amplitude)
Perpendicular polarizers give zero intensity.

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Polaroid

Physicssheets
208, Lecture 21 13 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 14

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Laptop LCD displays

oriented
liquid crystal
Orthogonal linear
polarizers

Oriented
scratched glass
Electric field
No electric field
Molecules align E-field
Molecules align with Apple iBook G4 Laptop with Polarized
scratches Light polarization does not
rotate Dell Inspiron 4100 Laptop with Glasses, showing perpendicular
Light polarization rotates Polarized Glasses polarization from
with molecules No light gets through
Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 15 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 16

Polarization by reflection Reducing glare

Reflection
Unpolarized Reflected sunlight partially polarized.
polarized with
Unpolarized light reflected Incident light Horizontal reflective surface ->the E-
E-field
from a surface becomes parallel to field vector of reflected light has
partially polarized surface strong horizontal component.
Transmission axis

Degree of polarization
depends on angle of
incidence n
Refracted
light

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 17 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 18

3
Polarization by scattering Honey Bee vision

Polarization sensitivity
rhodopsin molecules aligned
preferentially parallel to microvilli
tubes axes.
Honeybee ~5,500 ommatidia
Most visual cells of ommatidia
Looking North at sunset twisted by 180,
cancels out polarization sensitivity.
with a horizontal linear polarizer

Exception
dorsal (sky-looking) visual cells
Different directions relative to sun have different polarizations. responsible for polarized-light vision.
Some insects detect this polarization and use it to navigate.
Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 19 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 20

Bee navigation Circular

polarization
The electric field
rotates in time with
constant magnitude

Can be made by superposition:

Superpose two EM waves
Orthogonal linear polarizations
90 out of phase.

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 21 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 22

Right and left

y y y

x x x
circular polarization
t=T/8
t=0 t=2T/8 Two different types of
y y y circular polarization
0 T/
2T/
8 8 3T/ 4T/ 5T
These are
x x x 8 8
/8 inequivalent like
Superposition of two right- and left-handed
t=3T/8 t=4T/8 waves screws.
t=5T/8
orthogonal linear Right Left
y
polarizations Defined by direction circularly
y y
circularly
90 (1/4 wavelength) of E-field vector polarized polarized

rotation for light x x
x x x out of phase.
propagating toward
t=6T/6
t=T
you z y z y
t=7T/8

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 23 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 24

4
Recent discovery: some animals
see circular polarization Right &Left not always the same

Mirror
symmetric

Shrimp eye can

Achiral
detect circular
polarization.
Fin appears
different when Chiral
illuminated with objects
R- or L-circularly
polarized light. Right and left Circularly
are different polarized light

Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 25 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 26

Biological systems have

Chiral molecules Many molecules
are chiral. chosen a particular chirality
They are mirror
images of each
other
They are not
equivalent by any
rotation or
translation
Next weeks lab:
right and left-
handed light
Biological amino acids, interact differently
proteins, mostly L with a biological
Circularly polarized light interacts differently with
Biological sugars mostly D sugar
these different molecules
Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 27 Thurs. Nov. 12, 2009 Physics 208, Lecture 21 28