A stack of N + 1 ideal polarizing sheets is arranged with each sheet rotated by an angle of π/2N rad with respect to the preceding sheet. A plane linearly polarized light wave of intensity I0 is incident normally on the stack. The incident light is polarized along the transmission axis of the first sheet and therefore perpendicular to the transmission axis of the last sheet in the stack.

(a) What is the transmitted intensity through the stack?

(b) For 3 sheets (N = 2), what is the transmitted intensity?

(c) For 101 sheets, what is the transmitted intensity?

(d) What is the direction of polarization of the transmitted beam in each case?