Measuring Stokes parameters by means of a polarization grating

Ordinary gratings act on the amplitude and (or) the phase of a wave front. Polarization gratings produce instead a periodic modulation of the state of polarization. A simple grating of the latter type is constituted by a linear polarizer whose orientation varies periodically along a line. It is shown that, for a generic polarization state of the incident field, such a grating gives rise to first-order diffracted beams with counterrotating circular polarizations. It is also shown that such a grating can be used for measuring the Stokes parameters of a light beam in an achromatic manner. Several extensions are briefly discussed.     

利用斯托克斯参量验证偏振光

利用斯托克斯参量表示入射光的偏振特性,给出了斯托克斯各参量测量方法与计算原理,通过实验和关系转换,进而可更直观地判断光的偏振态.     

Measurement of polarization spectra considering spectrophotometer polarizing action and polarizer nonidealness

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 639–644, April, 1990.     

用Stokes参量法实现数字同轴偏振全息的研究

提出了一种基于Stokes参量的数字同轴偏振全息方法.在实验中用一束线偏振光和一束椭圆偏振光作为参考光, 分别与物光进行干涉,通过拍摄在两个相互垂直方向上的全息图,计算出物光在这两个方向的振幅和相位信息, 从而得到物光的Stokes参量和物体的全偏振信息,实现对各向异性物体偏振态空间分布的图像重建. 实验结果表明,该方法可用于物体的全偏振特性的测量.这种方法在求出物光Stokes参量的同时, 也可消除零级像和共轭像的干扰,因此也可用于同轴或离轴全息.     

Asymmetric chiral metamaterial circular polarizer based on four U-shaped split ring resonators

An asymmetric chiral metamaterial structure is constructed by using four double-layered U-shaped split ring resonators, which are each rotated by 90° with respect to their neighbors. The peculiarity of the suggested design is that the sizes of the electrically and magnetically excited rings are different, which allows for equalizing the orthogonal components of the electric field at the output interface with a 90° phase difference when the periodic structure is illuminated by an x-polarized wave. As a result, left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization are obtained in transmission at 5.1 GHz and 6.4 GHz, respectively. The experiment results are in good agreement with the numerical results.     

Stokes parameters and polarization contrasts in Young's interference experiment

We derive a spectral interference law that governs the behavior of the four Stokes parameters in Young's two-pinhole experiment with a random electromagnetic beam. In addition to the visibility of intensity fringes, we introduce three new contrast parameters that describe the interference-induced changes in the field's state of partial polarization. The polarization modulation depends on the electric field correlations at the pinholes and is closely related to the two-point Stokes parameters. The results are expected to be particularly useful in polarization interferometry and electromagnetic coherence theory. The formalism is demonstrated with specific examples.     

Investigation of the near field distribution in circular nanostructures using Stokes polarization states

In this paper, the near field distribution patterns formed from nanostripe corral and half spiral are investigated. Various near field distribution patterns are generated owning to the interference of propagating surface plasmon waves that emerged from the nanoslits or nanostripe. The half spiral nanoslits are illuminated with Stokes polarizations. Each polarization state shows a different field pattern at different locations on the surface of metal film. This is due to the excitation of surface plasmon waves at different parts of the nanostructures when illuminated with different types of polarization states. The same Stokes polarization states are also illuminated on a nanostripe corral structure. In this case, dipolar field distributions are observed when illuminated with different linear polarization states, while optical vortices are observed for circular polarization. It is believed that these interesting field patterns due to different arrangements of nanostructures could be used for near field imaging and polarization sensing.     

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.     

Quantum nondemolition measurements of the phase and polarization Stokes parameters of optical fields

We propose a new method for performing continuous quantum nondemolition measurements (QNDM) of the polarization characteristics of light, the signal photon number, and the Stokes parameters of light. For devices that implement such measurements we take cubically nonlinear double-filament optical fibers with tunnel coupling of the filaments. Such a system employs a four-mode mixing of the waves (two probe modes and two signal modes). Linear optical elements needed for preliminary and subsequent conversion of the Stokes parameters are also used. We show that measurements of one Stokes parameter can be used for QNDM of the phase difference between the two initial modes. Here the accuracy of such measurements is determined by the initial fluctuations of the Stokes parameters of the probe modes and by the size of the nonlinear mode conversion coefficient in the optical fibers. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 13, 1235–1252 (April 1998)     

Quantum field theory of polarization of light by a polarizer

We develop a quantum field theory analysis of the polarization of light by a polarizer by analyzing the photon Green function with the appropriate boundary conditions. Inherent in the study is a time evolutionary study of the system. The photon Green function is obtained as a photon moves from an emitter to various detectors set up relative to the polarizer. Upon using a completeness relation of the polarization vectors of light, the amplitudes of the relevant processes are extracted in a fully field-theoretic treatment in terms of photons.     

偏振器的物理意义及圆偏振器的Jones矩阵--评《关于圆偏振器》一文

从正交完备系及Mueller矩阵等角度阐明了理想圆偏振器的物理意义,指出已有文献中其Jones矩阵描述的正确性,而《关于圆偏振器》一文对诸多文献的批评是错误的。     

Multi-band circular polarizer based on a twisted triple split-ring resonator

A multi-band circular polarizer using a twisted triple split-ring resonator（TSRR） is presented and studied numerically and experimentally. At four distinct resonant frequencies, the incident linearly polarized wave can be transformed into left/right-handed circularly polarized waves. Numerical simulation results show that a y-polarized wave can be converted into a right-handed circularly polarized wave at 5.738 GHz and 9.218 GHz, while a left-handed circularly polarized wave is produced at 7.292 GHz and 10.118 GHz. The experimental results are in agreement with the numerical results. The surface current distributions are investigated to illustrate the polarization transformation mechanism. Furthermore, the influences of the structure parameters of the circular polarizer on transmission spectra are discussed as well.     

Polarization ellipse and Stokes parameters of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating through a polarization grating

An analytical propagation formula for the cross-spectral density matrix of a stochastic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (EGSM) beam after propagating through a polarization grating is derived with the help of a tensor method. The statistics properties, particularly the degree of polarization, polarization ellipse and Stokes parameters, of the EGSM beam on propagation after passing through a polarization grating are studied numerically. Our results clearly show that the statistics properties of the EGSM beam on propagation are closely determined by the initial parameters of the EGSM beam and the parameter of the polarization grating. The polarization grating provides one way for modulating the polarization properties of an EGSM beam.     

极化电子与原子散射的广义Stokes参量的实验测量

分析了极化电子与原子散射后的受激原子退激辐射光的广义Stokes参量，介绍了Stokes参量的基本概念和实验测量方法并阐明其具体的物理意义．为自旋极化电子参与的原子或分子碰撞实验和理论模型的研究奠定基础．     

Stokes parameters measurement of light over a wide wavelength range by judicious choice of azimuthal settings of quarter-wave plate and linear polarizer

The Stokes parameters (S_p, S₁, S₂, S₃) of light are measured at an arbitrary wavelength over a wide wavelength range. The Stokes parameters S₁ and S₂ are easily obtained. But the Stokes parameter S₃ at the arbitrary wavelength is affected by the phase difference error Δ₁ of the quarter-wave plate mismatch and the Stokes parameters S₁ or S₂. Therefore, in this paper, S₃ is obtained from both the intensity measurements by the circular polarizer rotating the quarter-wave plate by 0° and 90°. Then, S₃ is obtained by considering only Δ₁, but is not affected by S₁ and S₂. Also, though Δ₁ is not accounted for, S₃ is measured more accurately.     

Measurement of polarization mode dispersion in single mode fibre

Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in fibre seriously limits the high-capacity optical fibre communication system. The measurement of PMD was realized by three methods — wavelength scanning method, modified OTDR method and modified York S-38 dispersion meter method. Different types of fibres have been measured using the above three methods and the results have been found to be consistent. Finally, we also found that the measured results of longer non-polarization-maintaining fibre satisfied the Maxwellian probability density function and the results of polarization maintaining fibre were derived. Supported by The National Natural Science Foundations of P. R. China.     

线偏振器对偏振法折射率测量的影响

在一阶近似下，本文着重分析了偏振法折射率测量中线偏振器漏光误差和转角误差的影响，并导出了有关公式。数据计算表明，当线偏振器位于反射光路中时，转角误差影响最大，若转角误差小于５′时，由此产生的折射率误差约为５．５×１０（－７），此时漏光误差不影响折射率测量精度。当线偏振器位于人射光路中时，若利用中高精度线偏振器（消光比１０（－５）），则由此产生的折射率测量误差约为２．３×１０（－７）。相对该方法的随机误差１０（－５），无论线偏振器位于反射光路或入射光路中，由它产生的折射率测量误差均可忽略不计。     

光纤型偏振器消光比测试方法研究

介绍了单模光纤偏振器和保偏光纤偏振器 (包括研磨型保偏光纤偏振器和线圈型保偏光纤偏振器 )消光比的基本测试方法。单模光纤偏振器的基本测试方法有偏振控制器法和旋转波片法 ;研磨型保偏光纤偏振器的基本测试方法有起偏器 45°法和消偏法 ;线圈型保偏光纤偏振器的基本测试方法有偏振控制器法和消偏法。对每种方法的优点和缺点以及在测试过程中可能会出现的问题进行了详细分析 ,并通过实验进行了验证