Phase and coherence singularities generated by the interference of partially coherent fields

A condition for the complete destructive interference of partially coherent fields emerging from pinholes in an opaque screen is derived, with the assumption of symmetry in both their geometric positions and coherence properties. We use this condition to theoretically investigate the simultaneous production of phase singularities of the optical field and of the spectral degree of coherence. We find that in cases where the number of point sources is even, a new type of mixed field/correlation singularity is observed.     

Surface plasmons modulate the spatial coherence of light in Young's interference experiment

It is shown how surface plasmons that travel between the slits in Young's interference experiment can change the state of spatial coherence of the field that is radiated by the two apertures. Surprisingly, the coherence can both be increased and decreased, depending on the slit separation distance. This results in a modulation of the visibility of the interference fringes. Since many properties of a light field-such as its spectrum, polarization, and directionality - may change on propagation and are dependent on the spatial coherence of the source, our results suggest that the use of surface plasmons provides a new way to alter or even tailor the statistical properties of a light field.     

Phase singularities and coherence vortices in linear optical systems

It is demonstrated for a time-invariant linear optical system that there exists a definite connection between the optical vortices (phase singularities of the field amplitude) which appear when it is illuminated by spatially coherent light and the coherence vortices (phase singularities of the field correlation function) which appear when it is illuminated by partially coherent light. Optical vortices are shown to evolve into coherence vortices when the state of coherence of the field is decreased. Examples of the connection are given. Furthermore, the generic behavior of coherence vortices in linear optical systems is described.     

Contrasts of Stokes parameters in Young's interference experiment and electromagnetic degree of coherence

We analyze the modulation of the Stokes parameters in Young's two-pinhole interference experiment with a random electromagnetic beam. We demonstrate that the electromagnetic (spectral) degree of coherence put forward in Opt. Lett.29, 328 (2004) [or its space-time analog in Opt. Express 11, 1137 (2003)] is physically related to the contrasts of modulation in the four Stokes parameters. More explicitly, the electromagnetic degree of coherence is a measure of both the visibility of the intensity fringes and the modulation contrasts of the three polarization Stokes parameters. We also show that by using suitable wave plates the modulation in any Stokes parameter can be transformed into the form of intensity variation, and hence the electromagnetic degree of coherence can be obtained experimentally by four visibility measurements.     

Polarization singularities in Young's two-slit experiment

Young's interference experiment is regarded as a two-slit diffraction phenomenon, the polarization singularities in Young's two-slit configuration illuminated with two linearly, orthogonally polarized Gaussian vortex beams are studied. It is shown that generally, there exist L-lines (linearly polarization) and polarization singularities including C-points (circular polarization), S₂₃ and S₃₁ singularities even though the parameters of two beams are the same. The pair creation-annihilation and motion of polarization singularities take place upon propagation, or by varying a control parameter, such as the amplitude ratio of two beams or obscure ratio of slits etc. For a special case of the illumination with two linearly, orthogonally polarized Gaussian vortex-free beams, polarization singularities, in particular, C-points may occur if a parameter of two beams is not equal.     

Generation of complete coherence in Young's interference experiment with random mutually uncorrelated electromagnetic beams

The recently developed theory that unifies the treatments of polarization and coherence of random electromagnetic beams is applied to study field correlations in Young's interference experiment. It is found that at certain pairs of points the transmitted field is spatially fully coherent, irrespective of the state of coherence and polarization of the field that is incident on the two pinholes.     

High-harmonic-generation spectrum reconstruction from Young's double-slits interference pattern using the maximum entropy method

A method is proposed that uses maximum entropy analysis of a Young's two-slit interference pattern for the measurement of the spectrum of a high-harmonic-generation light source. The approach is tested using experimental data, and the results are found to be consistent with those obtained directly using a grazing incidence spectrometer.     

Effects of coherence on the degree of polarization in a young interference pattern

Recent predictions concerning the relationship between the degree of polarization at a typical point of a Young interference pattern and the degree of coherence of the electromagnetic field at the pinholes are tested by a simple experiment. In particular, it is shown that light that is completely unpolarized at the pinholes can become partially polarized across the fringe pattern.     

偏振光的杨氏干涉

在基础光学框架内,通过杨氏双孔干涉实验中线偏振光的干涉及线偏振光经过两任意厚度晶片的干涉等几个实例,说明了基于矢量波叠加概念的电磁干涉的基本思想、基本分析方法和基本现象.偏振光干涉时,观测平面上可以出现或不出现光强的周期性空间调制,但一般都产生光场偏振态的周期调制.它表明了光的矢量性对干涉的重要影响,并可揭示只分析强度条纹时被掩盖的一些物理效应.     

Young's interference in light scattering by spheres

Young's interference pattern was observed in laser light scattering by spheres on the backside of a glass plate, but not on the frontside of the substrate. This was because that former method eliminated or reduced the influence of light scattering from a substrate on interference fringes. Young's interference makes the prediction of integrated scattering cross section of spheres complicated for the case of high number density of deposited particles. A modified Bohbert-Vlieger model that takes interference effect into consideration is proposed. Analysis shows that this model is reasonable to describe light scattering cross section of spheres.     

Young's two-slit interference of vector light fields

We explore the peculiar interference behaviors of the vector fields in the Young's two-slit configuration. The interference patterns have a chessboard structure in the middle region and depend on the topological charge and the initial phase of the input vector field. The results have potential applications such as characterizing the topological properties of the arbitrary vector fields.     

Young's double-slit interference observation of hot electrons in semiconductors

We have carried out Young's double-slit experiment for the hot-electron wave in man-made semiconductor structures with a 25-nm-space double slit in an InP layer buried within GaInAs, a 190-nm-thick GaInAsP hot-electron wave propagation layer, and a collector array of 80 nm pitch. At 4.2 K, dependences of the collector current on the magnetic field were measured and found to agree clearly with the double-slit interference theory. The present results show evidence for the wave front spread of hot electrons using the three-dimensional state in materials, for the first time, and the possibility of using top-down fabrication techniques to achieve quantum wave front control in materials.     

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.     

Young's type interference for probing the mode symmetry in photonic structures

A revisited realization of the Young's double slit experiment is introduced to directly probe the photonic mode symmetry by photoluminescence experiments. We experimentally measure the far field angular emission pattern of quantum dots embedded in photonic molecules. The experimental data well agree with predictions from Young's interference and numerical simulations. Moreover, the vectorial nature of photonic eigenmodes results in a rather complicated parity property for different polarizations, a feature which has no counterpart in quantum mechanics.     

Phase transitions in ferromagnets and singularities

This paper is devoted to the investigation of critical phenomena from the mathematical point of view. An interesting question in this field is universality (i.e. independence of the type of material and, to some extent, of the type of process) of the so-called critical exponents. We try to show that one can compute the critical exponents using structural stability arguments. The universality is then implied automatically as a consequence of similarity of models and of the structure of stable singularities. The considerations lead to some new results: information about the generic shape of hysteresis loops and universal form of the equation of state in the critical region.     

New effects in Young's interference experiment with partially coherent light

We analyze the coherence properties of a partially coherent optical field emerging from two pinholes in a plane opaque screen. We show that at certain pairs of points in the region of superposition the light is fully coherent, regardless of the state of coherence of the light at the pinholes. In particular, this result also holds if each pinhole is illuminated by a different laser.     

Spectra, coherence and polarization in Young’s interference pattern formed by stochastic electromagnetic beams

New expressions are derived that predict the change of spectral density, the spectral degree of coherence and spectral degree of polarization in Young’s interference pattern when the pinholes are illuminated by an electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-mode beam. The spectral degree of polarization in the observation plane is found, in general, to take on values different from its values at each pinhole, and it changes with position at the same spatial frequency, as does the spectral density. When the light at the pinholes is completely coherent, there are singular points in the pattern, at which the spectral degree of polarization reaches minimum value.