Plane polarized light — UPSC Physics Optional IFoS 2016 Paper I

Plane polarized light of wavelength 6000\text{ \AA} is incident on a thin quartz plate cut with faces parallel to the optic axis. Given, \mu_0 = 1.544 and \mu_e = 1.553, calculate the following quantities : (i) The ratio of the intensities of the ordinary and the extraordinary light if the planes of vibration of two incident lights make an angle of 30^\circ with the optic axis. (ii) The minimum thickness of the plate for which ordinary and the extraordinary waves will combine to produce plane polarized light.