Polarized light is used for specialized applications in a number of fields. In medical and forensic applications (eg. Tissue viewing), scientific applications (eg. Microscopy, biology and geology, agriculture), engineering applications (eg. Ice crystal formation, plastics manufacturing), and for imaging applications (eg. Medical, aerial and underwater photography).
With so many applications for polarized light several systems have been designed to harness the power of polarized light. Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a polarizer that eliminates the need to switch between the states by interacting with the device and performing complex decision-making regarding what orientation illustrates the subject most appropriate for the given application. This technology addresses the problem of obtaining multiple acquisitions for polarized light imaging systems and allows for hands-free viewing and examination. It is a circular polarizer (CP) that is split, with one half having the Quarter Wave Plate on the front of the linear polarizer and the other half having the Quarter Wave Plate on the back of the linear polarizer such that half of the viewing field receives the returning light oriented as cross-polarized (S-polarization) light and the other half of the viewing field oriented as parallel-polarized (P-polarization) light. These two circular polarizers are placed directly next to each other with opposite orientations and in front of a light source that can pass back through the same two opposing split filters. The light source can be configured as any shape, so long as the source and reflected light is passed through the split CP. The main highlight of this technology is the inversion of half of the polarizer into its reversed orientation with their placement directly next to each other for simultaneous split viewing.
Conceptualization of viewing split parallel crossed polarization views of tissue.