A device used to plane-polarize light (see polarization of light). Nicol prisms or Polaroid can be used as polarizers. If a polarizer is placed in front of a source of unpolarized light, the transmitted light is plane-polarized in a specific direction. As the human eye is unable to detect that light is polarized, it is necessary to use an analyser to detect the direction of polarization. Crossing a polarizer and analyser causes extinction of the light, i.e. if the plane of polarization of the polarizer and the plane of the analyser are perpendicular, no light is transmitted when the polarizer and analyser are combined. Both a polarizer and an analyser are components of a polarimeter.