Abstract
The necessity for polarization-tensors of higher order than the 2×2 polarization matrix is clearly demonstrated, by considering two inequivalent situations arising from the superposition of two constant-amplitude beams with a random phase difference between them. The partially- and unpolarized fields from the superposition of two circularly polarized beams show no anisotropy in intensity fluctuations when viewed by a plane-polarized detector. This is not the case for the partially- and even the unpolarized beam formed from two plane-polarized beams. In passing, thesimple form of the polarization curve observed by a rotatable plane-polarized detector subject to an elliptically polarized beam, is derived.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. Mandel,Proc. Phys. Soc. 81 (1963) 1104–1114.
R. J. Glauber,Phys. Rev. 130 (1963) 2529–2539.
L. Mandel,J. Opt. Soc. Am. 51 (1961) 1342–1350.
S. Sukavanam, Ph.D. Thesis (1973), Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India (Unpublished).
G. J. Troup, R. G. Turner andB. J. Walsh,Phys. Lett. 39A (1972) 391–392.
J. D. Kraus, ‘Antennas’ (1950), McGraw-Hill, New York.
J. M. Simmons andM. J. Guttman, ‘States, Waves and Photons’ (1950), Addison-Wesley: Reading, Massachusetts.
E. Wolf,Nuovo Cimento 13 (1959) 1165–1181.
G. J. Troup,Phys. Lett. 17 (1965) 264–265.
D. M. J. Sommerville, ‘Analytical Conics’ 3rd edn., revised (1933), G. Bell and Sons, London.
L. Mandel, ‘Progress in Optics’2 (ed. E. Wolf), (1963) 181–248 Section 4.2. North Holland, Amsterdam.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
On leave from Physics Department, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Troup, G.J., Turner, R.G. & Walsh, B.J. Partially polarized fields generated by constant-amplitude (non-thermal) beams. Opto-electronics 6, 161–166 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01419064
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01419064