Polarization dynamics and polarization time of random three-dimensional electromagnetic fields

Timo Voipio, Tero Setälä, Andriy Shevchenko, and Ari T. Friberg
Phys. Rev. A 82, 063807 – Published 3 December 2010

Abstract

We investigate the polarization dynamics of random, stationary three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic fields. For analyzing the time evolution of the instantaneous polarization state, two intensity-normalized polarization autocorrelation functions are introduced, one based on a geometric approach with the Poincaré vectors and the other on energy considerations with the Jones vectors. Both approaches lead to the same conclusions on the rate and strength of the polarization dynamics and enable the definition of a polarization time over which the state of polarization remains essentially unchanged. For fields obeying Gaussian statistics, the two correlation functions are shown to be expressible in terms of quantities characterizing partial 3D polarization and electromagnetic coherence. The 3D degree of polarization is found to have the same meaning in the 3D polarization dynamics as the usual two-dimensional (2D) degree of polarization does with planar fields. The formalism is demonstrated with several examples, and it is expected to be useful in applications dealing with polarization fluctuations of 3D light.

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  • Received 9 August 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.063807

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Timo Voipio1,*, Tero Setälä1, Andriy Shevchenko1, and Ari T. Friberg1,2,3

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 13500, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
  • 2Department of Physics and Mathematics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
  • 3Department of Microelectronics and Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Electrum 229, SE-164 40 Kista, Sweden

  • *timo.voipio@tkk.fi

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Vol. 82, Iss. 6 — December 2010

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