11-09-2013, 02:04 PM
Polarization of Light: from Basics to Instruments (in less than 100 slides)
Polarization of Light.ppt (Size: 1.49 MB / Downloads: 144)
Introduction
Part I: Different polarization states of light
Part II: Stokes parameters, Mueller matrices
Part III: Optical components for polarimetry
Part IV: Polarimeters
Part V: ESPaDOnS
Part I: Different polarization states of light
Light as an electromagnetic wave
Mathematical and graphical descriptions of polarization
Linear, circular, elliptical light
Polarized, unpolarized light
Part II: Stokes parameters and Mueller matrices
Stokes parameters, Stokes vector
Stokes parameters for linear and circular polarization
Stokes parameters and polarization P
Mueller matrices, Mueller calculus
Jones formalism
Stokes parameters
1669: Bartholinus discovers double refraction in calcite
17th – 19th centuries: Huygens, Malus, Brewster, Biot, Fresnel and Arago, Nicol...
19th century: unsuccessful attempts to describe unpolarized light in terms of amplitudes
1852: Sir George Gabriel Stokes took a very different approach and discovered that polarization can be described in terms of observables using an experimental definition
Dual-beam polarimeters
Principle
Instead of cutting out one polarization and keeping the other one (polaroid), split the 2 polarization states and keep them both
Use a Wollaston prism as an analyzer
Disadvantages: need 2 detectors (PMTs, APDs) or an array; end up with 2 ‘pixels’ with different gain
Solution: rotate the Wollaston or keep it fixed and use a half-wave plate to switch the 2 beams