Fresnel was awarded the Grand Prix and his work was a strong argument for a wave theory of light. However polarisation of light produced by reflection still provided a strong argument in favour of the corpuscular theory, since no explanation from a wave theory had ever been made. Fresnel and Arago, now very confident that they could explain this effect with Fresnel's theory, undertook further work on polarisation and Fresnel discovered what was later called circularly polarised light.
Fresnel ay iginawad sa grand pri at sa kanyang trabaho ay isang malakas na argument para sa isang kaway teorya ng ilaw. Subalit polarisation ng ilaw nagawa sa pamamagitan ng pagmuni-muni pa rin na ibinigay ng isang malakas na argument ito sa kapakinabangan ng korpuskulo teorya, dahil walang paliwanag mula sa isang kaway theory had ever ginawa. Fresnel at Arago, ngayon very confident na sila ay maaaring ipaliwanag ang epekto sa Fresnel's theory, undertook karagdagang trabaho sa polarisation at Fresnel natuklasan kung ano ang susunod na tinatawag na circularly polarised ilaw.