All Problems Polarization of Light
Problem 5.167
Natural light falls at the Brewster angle on the surface of glass. Using the Fresnel equations, find (a) the reflection coefficient; (b) the degree of polarization of refracted light.
5.167. (a) \(\rho=1 / 2\left(n^{2}-1\right)^{2} /\left(n^{2}+1\right)^{2}=0.074\) (b) \(P=\rho /(1-\rho)=\frac{\left(1+n^{2}\right)^{2}-4 n^{2}}{\left(1+n^{2}\right)^{2}+4 n^{2}}=0.080\). Here \(n\) is the refractive index of glass.