A half-wave plate has a phase retardation of π. Assume that the plane is oriented so that the azimuth angle (i.e., the angle between the x-axis and the slow axis of the plate) Ψ=0.
a. Find the polarization state of the transmitted beam, assuming that the incident beam is linearly polarized in the y direction.
b. Show that a half-wave plate will convert right-hand circularly polarized light into left-hand circularly polarized light, and vice-versa.
c. E7 is a nematic liquid crystal with n0=1.52 and ne=1.75 at λ=577 nm. Find the half-wave-plate thickness at this wavelength.