Stokes parameters and degree of polarization of nonparaxial stochastic electromagnetic beams

On the basis of angular spectrum representation and the stationary-phase method, far-field expressions for generalized Stokes parameters of nonparaxial stochastic electromagnetic beams are derived, which permits us to study the changes in the ordinary Stokes parameters upon propagation, and the changes in the spectral degree of polarization of partially polarized nonparaxial stochastic electromagnetic beams. It is shown that the spectral degree of polarization changes across the section on beam propagation.     

Polarization of Photons under Conditions of Interference between the Parametric Radiation and Coherent Bremsstrahlung

X rays emitted by relativistic electrons traversing a system of parallel atomic planes of a crystal are considered. The spectral, angular, and polarization characteristics of emitted photons are studied theoretically simultaneously for two coherent emission mechanisms, namely, the coherent bremsstrahlung and parametric X rays. Based on the results obtained, an optimal design of the experiment on studying the effect of interference of these emission mechanisms on the polarization of photons is calculated. The developed experimental facility is described.     

Beam moments and angular momentum in non-uniformly polarized beams

The angular momentum of non-uniformly totally polarized beams is investigated using methods from the beam characterization approach. The relationship between the elements of the beam matrix for the two components of the field and the angular momentum is given. The unconventional distribution of the polarization across the beam profile could result in contributions to both the spin and orbital terms of the angular momentum. To illustrate this, a particular example with a vortex beam is considered.     

Investigation of 166Er in the respective (n,n′γ) reaction

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The spectrum, angular distribution, and linear polarization of gamma rays from the (n, n′γ) reaction on 166Er were measured in a beam of reactor fast neutrons....     

Transverse energy flows in vectorial fields of paraxial beams with singularities

A general study of transverse energy flows (TEF) as physically meaningful and informative characteristics of paraxial light beams’ spatial structure is presented. The total TEF can be decomposed into the spin and orbital contributions giving rise to the spin and orbital angular momentums, correspondingly. Definitions and properties of these constituents are discussed in relation with the optical field representation through linear and circular orthogonal polarization bases. With the help of model examples, the results are applied to investigation of TEF singularities in connection with the usual polarization morphology characteristics of paraxial optical fields. An analysis of TEFs near singular points has been carried out; in particular, the behavior of TEF and its partial contributions near polarization singularities (C-points) has demonstrated the special role of a boundary flow in the origin of the spin angular momentum. The analytical and experimental applicability of the introduced concepts are discussed.     

The 3701 keV neutron g 9/2 single-particle state in 57Ni

The neutron g _9/2 single-particle state in ⁵⁷Ni has been unambiguously identified in a combined measurement of the linear polarization, angular distribution, and angular correlation of γ rays following the fusion-evaporation reaction ²⁸Si(³²S,2pn)⁵⁷Ni at a beam energy of 90 MeV. The linear polarization was measured with a Euroball cluster detector and a prototype of an encapsulated six-fold segmented hexaconical Ge-detector. The spin of the 3701 keV level in ⁵⁷Ni was confirmed to be I= 9/2 and its parity determined to be positive. Received: 24 September 1999 / Revised version: 22 October 1999     

A simple analytical model of the angular momentum transformation in strongly focused light beams

A ray-optics model is proposed to describe the vector beam transformation in a strongly focusing optical system. In contrast to usual approaches based on the focused field distribution near the focal plane, we use the beam pattern formed immediately after the exit aperture. In this cross section, details of the output field distribution are of minor physical interest but proper allowance is made for transformation of the beam polarization state. This enables the spin and orbital angular momentum representations to be obtained, which are valid for any cross section of the transformed beam. Simple analytical results are available for a transversely homogeneous, circularly polarized incident beam confined by a circular aperture. Variations of the spin and orbital angular momenta of the output beam with change of the focusing strength are analyzed. The analytical results are in good qualitative and reasonable quantitative agreement with the results of numerical calculations performed for the Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian beams. The model supplies an efficient and physically transparent means for qualitative analysis of the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion. It can be generalized to incident beams with complex spatial and polarization structure.     

On the change in electromagnetic wave polarization in a smooth one-dimensionally inhomogeneous medium

Propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a smooth one-dimensionally inhomogeneous isotropic medium is considered in the second approximation of geometrical optics. The polarization evolution is studied extensively. It is known that in the first (Rytov) approximation of geometrical optics, there is only the rotation of the plane of polarization (with no change in the polarization shape and sign) for rays with torsion. In the case considered, both the shape of polarization ellipse and the sign of polarization change proportionally to the integral of the squared ray curvature even for plane rays. The effect is of nonlocal geometrical nature and can be described in terms of the generalized geometrical phase incursion between two linear polarizations.     

Effect of cross-polarization of electromagnetic source on the degree of polarization of generated beam

In this paper we study the degree of cross-polarization of a beam-like field whose cross-spectral density matrix is symmetric with respect to the permutation of its spatial arguments. Formulas were derived expressing the degree of cross-polarization in terms of the generalized Stokes parameters. With the help of an uniformly polarized quasi-homogeneous model source, the effect of degree of cross-polarization of a source on the degree of polarization of the radiated beam was demonstrated, that, two sources with same spectral degrees of coherence and polarization but with different degrees of cross-polarization can generate beams that have different spectral degrees of polarization in the far field.     

Influence of the boundary of a medium on the coherent backscattering of light

The multiple scattering of light from an inhomogeneous medium occupying a half-space is investigated on the basis of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. The latter is integrated over the spatial variables to obtain an identity having the significance of the energy balance of the incident and scattered radiations. This relation is then used to derive a length parameter that plays the role of the Milne interpolation length. The use of this parameter in the method of mirror images for describing the shape of the coherent backscattering peak in isotropic single scattering yields results in almost perfect agreement with the predictions of the Milne theory. The application of the given approach for an anisotropic single-scattering diagram yields quantitative agreement of the theory with experiments on the angular dependence of coherent backscattering. The new approach is generalized to an electromagnetic (vector) field, and backscattering polarization effects are investigated. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 1912–1928 (December 1999)     

Polarization bremsstrahlung study of short-range order in solids

Possibility to elaborate a new method of the diagnostics of short range order in solids based on spectral measurements of polarization bremsstrahlung from relativistic electrons moving in a sample is shown. The main advantage of the method being proposed consists in the absence of distortions in desired function of atom radial density in distinction to that determined by the basic Zernicke-Prins approach based on angular measurements of scattered quasi-monochromatic X-rays.     

Hybrid finite volume/ finite element method for radiative heat transfer in graded index media

The rays propagate along curved path determined by the Fermat principle in the graded index medium. The radiative transfer equation in graded index medium (GRTE) contains two specific redistribution terms (with partial derivatives to the angular coordinates) accounting for the effect of the curved ray path. In this paper, the hybrid finite volume with finite element method (hybrid FVM/FEM) (P.J. Coelho, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transf., vol. 93, pp. 89–101, 2005) is extended to solve the radiative heat transfer in two-dimensional absorbing-emitting-scattering graded index media, in which the spatial discretization is carried out using a FVM, while the angular discretization is by a FEM. The FEM angular discretization is demonstrated to be preferable in dealing with the redistribution terms in the GRTE. Two stiff matrix assembly schemes of the angular FEM discretization, namely, the traditional assembly approach and a new spherical assembly approach (assembly on the unit sphere of the solid angular space), are discussed. The spherical assembly scheme is demonstrated to give better results than the traditional assembly approach. The predicted heat flux distributions and temperature distributions in radiative equilibrium are determined by the proposed method and compared with the results available in other references. The proposed hybrid FVM/FEM method can predict the radiative heat transfer in absorbing-emitting-scattering graded index medium with good accuracy.     

Polarization control of an X‐ray free‐electron laser with a diamond phase retarder

A diamond phase retarder was applied to control the polarization states of a hard X‐ray free‐electron laser (XFEL) in the photon energy range 5–20 keV. The horizontal polarization of the XFEL beam generated from the planar undulators of the SPring‐8 Angstrom Compact Free‐Electron Laser (SACLA) was converted into vertical or circular polarization of either helicity by adjusting the angular offset of the diamond crystal from the exact Bragg condition. Using a 1.5 mm‐thick crystal, a high degree of circular polarization, 97%, was obtained for 11.56 keV monochromatic X‐rays, whereas the degree of vertical polarization was 67%, both of which agreed with the estimations including the energy bandwidth of the Si 111 beamline monochromator.     

The effect of alignment of the exotic atom orbital angular momentum on depolarization of negative muons

The theory of cascade depolarization of negative muons is generalized to the case where the orbital angular momentum of a meson becomes aligned as a result of its atomic capture. An explanation of the experimental data on the residual polarization of ^– in helium is proposed on the basis of the developed theory and available arguments in favour of the possible existence of alignment of the orbital angular momentum in the lightes exotic atoms. An angular distribution and linear polarization of muonic X-rays is considered. The connection between these characteristics and the depolarization factor due to the alignment of the orbital angular momentum enables one to make a direct experimental test of the proposed explanation of the residual polarization of muons in helium.     

The Imbert-Fedorov shift of paraxial light beams

We present a solution to the problem of reflection and transmission of a polarized paraxial light beam at an interface between two homogeneous media by using a two-form amplitude and an extension matrix to represent the vectorial angular spectrum of a three-dimensional (3D) light beam. We derive general formulas for the Imbert-Fedorov (IF) shift of the reflected and transmitted beams of a polarized paraxial light beam. The IF shift of two different types of polarized beams is calculated, and the influence of the polarization state and the polarization feature of the vectorial angular spectrum on the IF shift is discussed.     

On corrections due to higher-order electromagnetic transitions in nuclei

Beta and gamma transitions via virtual intermediate states may give small corrections to various physical effects. Beta-gamma and gamma-gamma angular correlations may receive contributions which are not symmetric around ninety degrees. Gamma rays following beta decay may have a small circular polarization. All these effects seem to be too small to be measurable at present or to interfere with parity experiments. Corrections to the spectrum shape factor of first-forbidden beta decays are discussed in view of the Bi²¹⁰ (RaE) decay.     

Behavior of propagating and evanescent components in azimuthally polarized non-paraxial fields

The contribution of the propagating and the evanescent waves associated with freely propagating non-paraxial light fields whose transverse component is azimuthally polarized at some plane is investigated. Analytic expressions are derived for describing both the spatial shape and the relative weight of the propagating and the evanescent components integrated over the transverse plane. The analysis is carried out within the framework of the plane-wave angular spectrum approach. These results are used to illustrate the behavior of a kind of donut-like beams with transverse azimuthal polarization at some plane.     

Spin Hall effect of light in metallic reflection

We report the first measurement of the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) on an air-metal interface. The SHEL is a polarization-dependent out-of-plane shift on the reflected beam. For the case of metallic reflection with a linearly polarized incident light, both the spatial and angular variants of the shift are observed and are maximum for -45°/45° polarization, but zero for pure s and p polarization. For an incoming beam with circular polarization states however, only the spatial out-of-plane shift is present.     

A system for the remote spectroscopy in the visible and infrared regions

Results of the design and development of a system for remote sensing of the state and evaluation of the parameters of the natural environment and objects are presented. The devices developed are based on a generalized structural model of measuring system for acquisition of data on spectral, energy, polarization, angular, and spatial characteristics of the optical radiation field of the object under investigation. A. N. Sevchenko Scientific Research Institute for Applied Physical Problems at the Belarusian State University, 7, Kurchatov St., Minsk, 220064, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 6, pp. 827–833, November–December, 1997.