Jones Waveplate Polarization Calculator
Calculate normalized Stokes values and polarization ellipse after an ideal linear retarder.
YOUR CALCULATION
Result
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Calculation steps
Work through one step at a time or reveal the complete calculation. The steps use your current inputs.
How to calculate
Start with unit-amplitude linearly polarized light and propagate its coherent Jones vector.
Rotate into retarder axes, add phase to the slow component, rotate back; S3=2Im(Ex conjugate(Ey))
Worked example
A quarter-wave retarder with linear input45° to its axes gives circular polarization and absolute ellipticity angle45°.
Assumptions and input details
Ideal fully polarized monochromatic light and lossless retarder. The displayed S3 sign uses Ex conjugate(Ey) explicitly; handedness labels depend on viewing/time conventions and are not inferred. Ellipse azimuth is undefined for circular output.
Using this calculator
Can I enter my own problem?
Yes. Replace the example values with your own inputs. The result, calculation steps, tables and applicable diagrams update from those inputs. Blank or invalid values clear the result; example values are never silently substituted for missing inputs.
Are the results exact?
Results use floating-point arithmetic and displayed rounding. Read the formula, assumptions and any stated data precision before interpreting the result.
Is my input uploaded?
The calculation runs in your browser. No account, file upload or external AI service is required. Inputs are not saved between page reloads.
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