Three Light Linear
What will happen to double slit interference if there are polarizers present?
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A double slit plate is illuminated by a point source of monochromatic, un-polarized light. But unlike in vanilla double slit interference there are three polarizing plates. "Red" clockwise and "green" counter-clockwise polarizers are placed in front front of the slits. The colors DO NOT refer to colors of light, only to how the polarizers marked on the picture, all polarizers are transparent to all wavelengths.
Third large "blue" polarizer is linear and placed behind the slits.
What is the pattern observed on the screen?
I will guess that the two slits will form a continuous band incident on the blue linear polarizing sheet. However, because of the interference pattern, at the expected nodes and antinodes, you will have either horizontal or vertical linear polarized light (and in between, you will have polarization at an angle).
The linear sheet, depending on its rotation, will knock out the nodes, the antinodes, or the in between. Simply rotating the sheet will cause the pattern to move from one phase to the other. It would be pretty cool to look at.
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A circularly polarized em wave can be modelled as a vertical and horizontal polarized waves that are 90 degrees (1/4 λ) out of phase. Depending on whether the horizonatal component is 90 degrees ahead or behind the vertical makes it either right or left circularly polarized.
I will further assume, for the moment, that the right and left beams as being in phase in the horizontal direction and out of phase in the vertical direction. This would mean that the normal nodes of a double slit would be in phase for the horizontal component and out of phase for the vertical. For the anti-nodes, the vertical component would be in phase and the horizontal would be out of phase.
(choice of coordinates, i.e., when the vertical and the horizontal components are in or out of phase is arbitrary and in practice would depend on the set up of the experiment.)
The regular polarizing material will show the direction of polarization for all points on the swath of light incident on the sheet.
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I should add that the primary distance for figuring out the pattern will be the distance from the slits to the linear polarizing plane.
From the polarizing plane to the screen the beams from each of the acting nodes (i.e., constructive interference in the direction of polarization) should remain fairly coherent so they will project a similar pattern on the screen (i.e., maintaining the same angle with respect to the 'slits').
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