Rotating Polarizer

See changes in intensity due to polarization and use these to see colorful birefringence patterns from everyday objects.

Polarization is one of the amazing properties that arise from the wave nature of light. From sunglasses to 3D cinema and displays, is one of the most easily found optical phenomena in our daily lives. This demo uses a simple electromechanical setup to make two polarizers rotate relative to each other and to allow observers to see the stunning intensity changes that arise. They can further interact with the demo by passing objects, such as different types of plastic utensils, in between the polarizers to see the effect of different materials on the polarization of light passing through them. This demo also has our first full build guide so you can create your own!

Budget: $20–$100
Required tools: 3–5
Manufacturing difficulty: 4
Alignment difficulty: 0
Portability: 5–7
Setup time: 1
Presentation complexity: 2–8
Concept complexity: 5–7
WOW factor: 5–6

What do these scores mean? →

Colorful patterns from passing a plastic through the polarizer

Contents01Build Guide

Build Guide

This demo has a full build guide to build a relatively low cost version that uses MDF, laser cutting and 3D printing, easy to find electronics, and a few other standardized components such as nuts and bolts. Our design helps prevent the need of optomechanical bases and posts in case you don’t have access to a formal university optics lab. You can find the full build guide here. The CAD assembly and all the manufacturing files referenced in the guide can be found here as well.

Opportunities for improvement

More sections and details such as Presentation Ideas coming soon!