Polarisation
Although the first official recordings of polarization date back to 1669, it was Dr. Land who was able to transform this phenomenon of physics into practical commercial applications
As the inventor of the first polarizing sunglass lens, Polaroid has become synonymous with polarization. The benefits of Polaroid polarized sunglasses are optimal visibility, eye strain reduction, colour fidelity, contrast enhancement and increased depth perception. Polaroid polarized sunglasses eliminate glare.
The benefits of polarized sunglasses:
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 Polaroid polarized lenses block out virtually 100% of glare. |
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100% UV400 protection against UVA, UVB and UVC rays. |
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Reduced eye fatigue. |
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Accurate colour perception. |
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Greater visual definition through enhanced contrasts. |
Wherever you wear Polaroid polarized sunglasses – at the sea, in the snow, in the mountains, reading a book in the sun or doing outdoor sports – insist on Polaroid polarized sunglasses.
How Do Polarized Lenses Work?
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When sunlight reflects off a horizontal surface like a road or water, it often becomes concentrated horizontally. This is called glare. |
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Non-polarized sunglasses don't block glare. |
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Polaroid polarized sunglasses block glare and allow only useful vertical light to reach your eyes. |
Polaroid polarized sunglasses block glare and UV light so you can see more clearly and protect your eyes from harmful rays.
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Track record of innovation and invention
Then…
Born in 1909 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the founder of the Polaroid Corporation, Dr. Edwin Land, became captivated by light at an early age. A fascination with kaleidoscopes and stereoscopes, combined with his desire to play with and control light, led Edwin Land to invent the world's first synthetic polarizing material for commercial use in 1929.
He established Polaroid Corporation in 1937, and the first pair of sunglasses went over the counter towards the end of that decade.
Polaroid's other important innovations include the instant camera, instant x-ray film, military devices for night vision and aerial reconnaissance, and a host of other devices. During this productive and innovative period, Polaroid Corporation earned a reputation as the invention factory of its time.
…and now
Our latest eyewear invention is the PTX4000 lens. It is one of the best performing polarized lenses on the market today. These lenses are now being created on Polaroid's unique Thermofusion™ Technology equipment located at its ISO 9001/140001 accredited facility in the United Kingdom.
Strong market for polarized sunglasses
More and more people understand the benefits of wearing polarized sunglasses. Already one in five sunglasses sold worldwide carries a polarized lens amounting to almost 60 million polarizing lens pairs. This is a major growth sector within the sunglass market, with forecasts showing sales will continue to grow significantly over the coming years.
The trend towards polarization at the high-price end of the market will serve to make polarized lenses an aspirational feature. Consumers' perceptions that polarized lenses are worth up to double the price of non-polarized lenses will also stimulate further market growth and offer additional margin and sales potential for manufacturers.
Polarized Light
Polarized light consists of individual photons whose electric field vectors are all aligned in the same direction. Ordinary light is unpolarized because the photons are emitted in a random manner, while laser light is polarized because the photons are emitted coherently. When light passes through a polarizing filter, the electric field interacts more strongly with molecules having certain orientations. This causes the incident beam to separate into two beams, whose electric vectors are perpendicular to each other. A horizontal filter absorbs photons whose electric vectors are vertical (as shown here). The remaining photons are absorbed by a second filter turned 90° to the first. At other angles the intensity of transmitted light is proportional to the square of the cosine of the angle between the two filters. In the language of quantum mechanics, polarization is called state selection. Because photons have only two states, light passing through the filter separates into only two beams.
