Here is an example of a Jones surface being used as a quarter wave plate. The sample file is included in a zip file that can be downloaded from the link at the end of the last page of this article.




Note that the Jones matrix surface does not use the radius of curvature column: it is always a plane. This is consistent with its common use being in collimated light at normal incidence. The matrix elements are entered as parameter data in the Lens Data Editor. In this case, the Jones matrix is configured to act like a quarter-wave-plate in the x-direction:



The easiest way to see the effect of the Jones matrix surface is with the Polarization Pupil Map, which is located under Analysis...Polarization...Polarization Pupil Map:




It can be seen that the input circular polarization has been altered to a linear polarization, with 100% efficiency. If we change the Jones matrix elements to represent a half-wave plate in x (A_real = -1, D_real = +1, all others zero), we get an output circular polarization with the opposite handedness. Note the direction arrow drawn on the polarization ellipses:



If we set up the Jones matrix as an x-analyzer (A_real = +1, all other elements zero), then only x-polarized light is passed, and the transmission (naturally) falls to 50%



Note: all the analysis features under Analysis...Polarization have settings dialogs that allow the user to enter the input polarization directly. If you use other Analysis features, like say the Huygens PSF, that have a checkbox to 'Use Polarization' but do not explicitly allow you to define the polarization state of the light, the polarization is controlled via a global setting under System...General...Polarization.