The polarization of light is one of the most remarkable phenomena in nature and has led to numerous discoveries and applications. The nature and mathematical formulation of unpolarized light and partially polarized light were not readily forthcoming until the 1950s, when questions about polarized light and the mathematical tools to deal with it began to be addressed in earnest. As a result, there is a very good understanding of polarized light today.
The primary objective of this Field Guide is to provide an introduction to the developments in polarized light that have taken place over the past half-century and present the most salient topics of the subject matter such as Mueller matrices, Stokes polarization parameters, and Jones matrices.
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- Glossary x
- The Foundations of Polarized Light 1
- The Ray Theory of Light 1
- The Polarization of Light 2
- Malus's Law 3
- Brewster's Law 4
- The Wave Theory of Light 5
- Fresnel's Wave Theory 5
- The Polarization Ellipse 7
- Degenerate Polarization States 8
- The Parameters of the Polarization Ellipse 9
- The Poincaré Sphere 10
- Degenerate States on the Poincaré Sphere 11
- The Observables of Polarized Light 12
- The Stokes Polarization Parameters 12
- Stokes Parameter Relations 14
- Classical Measurement of the Stokes Parameters 16
- The Mueller Matrices for Polarizing Components 17
- Polarizers 18
- Waveplates 20
- Rotators 22
- Mueller Matrices for Rotated Components 23
- Mueller Matrix Applications-Malus's Law 25
- Mueller Matrix Applications-The Optical Shutter 26
- Mueller Matrix Applications-Stokes Parameters 27
- The Observable Polarization Sphere 28
- The Observable Polarization Sphere 28
- Plotting the Quarter-Wave Plate on the OPS 32
- The Rotating Quarter-Wave Plate 34
- The Babinet-Soleil Compensator 35
- Linear and Circular Polarizers 36
- The Generation of Elliptically Polarized Light 37
- Measurement Methods of the Stokes Parameters 38
- The Rotating Quarter-Wave Plate Measurement 39
- Birefringent Crystals and Wave Plates 40
- Multiple and Zero-Order Wave Plates 41
- Mueller Matrices for Reflection and Transmission 42
- Mueller Matrices for Reflection and Transmission 42
- Reflection and Transmission Stokes Parameters 43
- Reflection and Transmission Mueller Matrices 47
- Total Internal Reflection 48
- The Fresnel Rhomb 49
- Single and Multiple Dielectric Plates 50
- Pile of Polarizing Dielectric Plates 52
- Fresnel's Reflection and Transmission Coefficients 55
- Other Polarization Matrix Calculi 57
- The Jones Matrix Calculus 57
- Wolf's Coherency Matrix Calculus 62
- Optical Activity and Optical Rotation 63
- Optical Activity and Optical Rotation 63
- Faraday Rotation 64
- Optical Isolators 66
- Depolarizers 72
- Waveplate Depolarizers 72
- The Lyot Crystal Depolarizer 74
- Polarizing Materials 75
- Polarizers 75
- Polarizing Prisms 76
- Characterizing Commercial Polarizers 78
- Characterizing Polarizer Pairs 79
- The Transmittance of Polarizers 80
- The Contrast Ratio of Polarizers 81
- Wave Plate Materials 82
- Superposition and Decomposition of Polarized Beams 83
- Incoherent Superposition and Decomposition 83
- Incoherent Decomposition-Ellipses 84
- Coherent Superposition and Decomposition 85
- The Electro-Optical Effect 86
- The Electro-Optical Effect - Modulators 86
- The Pockels Cell 88
- Refractive Index Measurements 89
- Normal Incidence Refractive Index Measurement 89
- The Brewster Angle Measurement 90
- The Incident 45o Method 95
- The Classical Radiation Field 94
- Maxwell's Equations 94
- The Radiation Equation and the Stokes Parameters 95
- The Linear Oscillating Bound Charge 96
- The Randomly Oscillating Bound Charge 97
- A Charge Moving in a Circle 98
- A Charge Moving in a Magnetic Field 99
- The Classical Zeeman Effect 101
- Optical Scattering 105
- Thomson Scattering 106
- Rayleigh Scattering 108
- The Optics of Metals and Semiconductors 110
- The Optics of Metals and Semiconductors 110
- The Refractive Index and Absorption Coefficient 111
- Normal Incidence Angle Reflectivity 112
- Non-Normal Incidence Angle Reflectivity 113
- Complex Reflection Coefficients 114
- The Principal Angle of Incidence Measurement 115
- Bibliography 125
- Index 127
Preface
The polarization of light is one of the most remarkable phenomena in nature and has led to numerous discoveries and applications. Today it continues to play a vital role in optics. Before the nineteen fifties there was very little activity on the foundations of polarized light. For example, answers to questions such as the nature and mathematical formulation of unpolarized light and partially polarized light were not readily forthcoming. Fortunately, these questions along with the mathematical tools to deal with polarized light began to be addressed in earnest in the nineteen fifties. As a result, today there is a very good understanding of polarized light. In particular, the mathematical difficulties that had hindered complex polarization calculations were finally overcome with the introduction of the Mueller-Stokes matrix calculus and the Jones matrix calculus. Research in polarized light continues with much vigor as witnessed by the continued appearance of numerous publications and conferences.
The primary objective of this Guide is to provide an introduction to the developments in polarized light that have taken place over the past half-century. In this Guide I have tried to present the most salient topics on the subject. Hopefully, this Field Guide will enable the reader to have a good grasp of the material and most of all to allow him or her to be comfortable and even delighted with the beauty and subject of polarized light.
Finally, this Field Guide is dedicated to my wife, Mary Ann, and my children Ron and Greg. Their encouragement and support greatly simplified the task of writing this Guide.
Edward Collett
Georgian Court University
Lakewood, New Jersey
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