Abstract
IN a recent communication, Hartley1 indicated a simple arrangement for realizing phase-contrast in polarized light. It consisted of a quarter-wave plate cut in two and reassembled after 90° rotation, so that the dioptric rays and the diffracted rays, crossing respectively the two parts of the plate, are changed in phase with respect to each other. This same method was indicated by one of us2 at the international conference of the Institut d‘Optique, Paris, held in October 1946, and its efficiency has been tested since by experiment. We tested also another design which has the advantage of giving the exact phase-change needed and independently permits the weakening of the dioptric rays in a continuous manner so that it can be adjusted to optimum intensity. (In the last paragraph of his letter in Nature, Hartley indicated a modification of his design in order to obtain also the weakening of the dioptric rays; in doing so, however, the correct phase retardation given by his first arrangement is lost.)
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Hartley, W. G., Nature, 159, 880 (1947).
Kastler, A., communication at the Colloque sur les Images Optiques, Paris, October 1946, Revue d‘Optique (in the press).
French Patent No. 534, 779, May 17, 1947.
Osterberg, H., Opt. Soc. Amer., 36, 710 (1946).
Taylor, E. W., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 190, 422 (1947).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
KASTLER, A., MONTARNAL, R. Phase-Contrast in Polarized Light. Nature 161, 357 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161357a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161357a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.