Polarization singularity democracy: WYSIWYG
Optics Letters, Vol. 29, Issue 15, pp. 1715-1717 (2004)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.29.001715
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Abstract
The canonical point singularity of elliptically polarized light is a C point, an isolated point of circular polarization surrounded by a field of polarization ellipses. The defining singular property of a C point is that the surrounding ellipses rotate about the point. It is shown that this rotation is seen only for a particular line of sight (LOS) and, conversely, that there exists a unique LOS for every ellipse along which the ellipse is seen as a singularity. It is also shown that changes in LOS can turn singularities into stationary points and vice versa. The democratic behavior of polarization singularities and stationary points is a consequence of the fundamental “what you see is what you get” property of ellipse fields. Simple experiments are proposed for observing this unusual property of elliptically polarized light.
© 2004 Optical Society of America
OCIS Codes
(030.0030) Coherence and statistical optics : Coherence and statistical optics
(030.1670) Coherence and statistical optics : Coherent optical effects
(260.0260) Physical optics : Physical optics
(260.2130) Physical optics : Ellipsometry and polarimetry
(260.5430) Physical optics : Polarization
(350.5030) Other areas of optics : Phase
Citation
Isaac Freund, "Polarization singularity democracy: WYSIWYG," Opt. Lett. 29, 1715-1717 (2004)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ol/abstract.cfm?URI=ol-29-15-1715
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