September 22, 2001

"Polarized Light, Retarders, & Compensators:
From the Celestial Sphere to the Poincare Sphere"
Bill C Mikuska
Triton College
River Grove, IL

Participants in this hands-on workshop will perform 10 experiments with polarizers, retarders, and mirrors. A basic introduction to the Stokes vector and the Poincare Sphere, as well as to the Mueler and Jones Calculi will serve to interpret the results of these experiments and provide an understanding of the Berek and the de Senarmont compensators used by the polarized light microscopist.

All participants will receive a kit containing the necessary materials to conduct experiments, a detailed set of notes including references for additional exploration, and instructions on how to make a Poincare sphere.

Bio Sketch

Bill C. Mikuska received his BS and MS in chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology with emphasis in physical chemistry and chemical physics.

A 30 year teaching career at Triton College followed where he engages students to use polarized light microscopy in independent study projects.

He has been an officer in the State Microscopical Society for several years of which this is his fifth year as president, and is also a member of the Royal Microscopical Society. Most recently he became a member of the Rowfant Club, a bibliophillic society founded in Cleveland in 1892.

His interests range from classical music (organ performance and practice), Venetian and French glass, antiques, art, orchids, cacti and succulents, meteorites, reading mystery books, and gardening among others. Future interests will include translating several collections of German short stories into English.

SMSI Minutes 22 Sept 01

Workshop 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Bill Mikuska.

"From the Celestial Sphere to the Poincare Sphere."

You had to be there! This talk could have been part of every McCrone Course, but there is too much to know and too little time to cover every basic concept . (It even takes longer than a week to become proficient in speaking and writing Mandarin or NawaShibari). Understanding Koehler illumination's workings is just as important as understanding the compensators and polarizers that make PLM work even if we do not fully understand what light is. Working through Jones and Muller Calculus problems, determining polar/compensator vibration directions, and the physical presence of a sphere model with various types of polarizing film made the calculus very understandable. The vast additional notes made it very enjoyable. Like a big meal, it takes
time to digest. See: MICROSCOPE Vol 49:2 97-109 (2001).

Unfortunately, your VP and Recording Secretary will miss the next important meeting(He will be in Beijing advising Chinese Industry).

Respectfully submitted, Stan Schmidt, Recording Secretary