‫تقرير من اعداد طلبة الدكتوراه (‪)2016-2015‬‬

‫حسام صبيح فليح و سارة حسين علي‬

‫بإشراف‬
‫أ‪.‬د‪ .‬علي عبد داود الزكي‬
Solved examples
 cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼
(1) An optical filter can be described by a Jones matrix :
− sin 𝛼 cos 𝛼

Obtain the form of the emerging light for each of the following incident beams:

cos 𝜃
(a) A plane beam polarized by an angle θ horizontally: ‫امثلة محلولة‬
sin 𝜃
(b) A left-circularly polarized beam. (c) A right-circularly polarized beam. (d) From the
above, identify the filter.
Solution:
cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 cos 𝜃 cos (𝜃 − 𝛼)
(a) =
− sin 𝛼 cos 𝛼 sin 𝜃 −sin (𝜃 − 𝛼)

cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 1 cos 𝛼 + 𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 𝑖𝛼 1

(b) = = 𝑒 𝑖𝛼 = 𝑒 𝑖𝛼
− sin 𝛼 cos 𝛼 𝑖 −i sin 𝛼 + 𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼 𝑖𝑒 𝑖

cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 1 cos 𝛼 − 𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 −𝑖𝛼 1

(c ) = = 𝑒 −𝑖𝛼 = 𝑒 −𝑖𝛼
− sin 𝛼 cos 𝛼 −𝑖 −i sin 𝛼 − 𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼 −𝑖𝑒 −𝑖

(d) The filter is rotator.

 2
(2) An optical filter can be described by a Jones matrix : 𝑐𝑜𝑠 α cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼
cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼

(a) Obtain the form of the emerging beam when the incident light is plane polarized at
cos 𝜃
angle θ to the horizontal: .
sin 𝜃

(b) Deduce from the result of part (a) the nature of the filter.

Solution:
2
(a) 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 α cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 cos 𝜃
= 𝑐𝑜𝑠 α cos 𝜃 + cos 𝛼 sin2 𝛼 sin 𝜃
cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 sin 𝜃 cos 𝛼 sin 𝛼 cos 𝜃 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛 α sin 𝜃

cos 𝛼
= cos (𝜃-𝛼)
sin 𝛼

(b) Emerging beam is polarized at angle θ to the horizontal and its amplitude is
reduced by a factor [cos (θ - α)]. This is exactly what an ideal linear polarizer would
do if its transmission axis were oriented at α to the horizontal (recall Malus's law).
(3) Show by means of the Jones calculus that circularly polarized light is produced by
sending light through a linear polarizer and a quarter-wave plate only in the right order.

Solution:

1 0 1
Let a quarter-wave plate is : & a linear polarizer (at 45°) is , then:
0 −𝑖 1

1 0 1 1
= which is circularly polarized light.
0 −𝑖 1 −𝑖

Note that the required condition or the right order that is the linear polarizer is at 45°.
 1 𝑖
(4) Verify that a circular polarizer whose Jones matrix is is completely
−𝑖 1
transparent to one type of circularly polarized light and opaque to the opposite circular
polarization. (Note: This is not the same type of polarizer as a linear polarizer followed
by a quarter-wave plate.)

Solution:
1
Jones vector of right hand circularly polarized light is : ;
−𝑖
1
Jones vector of left hand circularly polarized light is : ;
𝑖
1 𝑖
Jones matrix of right hand circularly polarized light is : ; then :
−𝑖 1

1 𝑖 1 1
 =2 which is right hand circularly polarized light with double
−𝑖 1 −𝑖 −𝑖
amplitude (transparent) .

1 𝑖 1 1−1 0
 = = No light (opaque) .
−𝑖 1 𝑖 −𝑖 + 𝑖 0
 1
(5) Linearly polarized light whose Jones vector is (horizontally polarized) is sent
0
through a train of two linear polarizers. The first is oriented with its transmission axis
at 45 degrees and the second has its transmission axis vertical. Show that the emerging
light is linearly polarized in the vertical direction; that is, the plane of polarization has
been rotated by 90 degrees.

Solution:
1
 Jones vector of linearly (horizontally) polarized light is , and Jones matrix of
1 1 0
linearly (tilted at 45 degrees ) polarized light is :
1 1

1 1 1 1
= which is the Jones vector of linearly (tilted at 45 degrees ) polarized
1 1 0 1

light.

0 0
 Jones matrix of linearly (vertically) polarized light is :
0 1
0 0 1 0
= which is the Jones vector of linearly (vertically) polarized light.
0 1 1 1
(6) Use the Jones method to find the result when a horizontal linear polarizer acts on:
(a) a wave polarized in the x, y plane at angle 𝜃 to the x axis; and (b) circularly
polarized waves of either hand. In each case, compare the initial and final irradiance.
Solution:
(a) Horizontal linear polarizer acts on rotated linearly polarized wave:
1 0 cos 𝜃 cos 𝜃
=
0 0 sin 𝜃 0

The result is a wave polarized along the x axis, but with irradiance reduced by a factor
of cos 2 𝜃.

(b) Horizontal linear polarizer acts on circularly polarized wave:

1 0 1 1
=
0 0 ±𝑖 0

The final wave is linearly polarized along the x-axis, but with half the original
irradiance of the incident wave.
Stokes Parameters
The Jones vectors apply only to fully polarized light. For partial polarization the
appropriate analysis uses the Stokes parameters, which are functions of irradiance
rather than fields. If the irradiance is measured through four different analyzers, (i)
passing all states (but transmitting only half of each), (ii) and (iii) linear analyzers with
axes at angles 0° and 45°, (iv) a circular analyzer, which measure respectively
𝐼𝑂 𝐼1 𝐼2 𝐼3 , the Stokes parameters are :

For partially polarized light with polarized and un-polarized components of irradiance
𝐼𝑝 and 𝐼𝑢 we define the degree of polarization P as:

The Stokes parameters for two incoherent light beams are the sum of their individual
Stokes parameters.
The Stokes parameters can be arranged in a Stokes vector:

State of polarization Stokes parameters Type of polarization

𝑆1 > 0 ≡ 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐿𝑃
Linear polarization 𝑆1 ≠ 0, 𝑆2 ≠ 0, 𝑆3 = 0 𝑆1 < 0 ≡ Vertical LP
𝑆1 ≠ 0, 𝑆2 = 0, 𝑆3 = 0 𝑆2 > 0 ≡ at 45 °
𝑆2 < 0 ≡ at - 45 °
Circular polarization 𝑆1 = 0, 𝑆2 = 0, 𝑆3 ≠ 0 𝑆3 > 0 ≡ RHCP OR RHEP
𝑆3 < 0 ≡ LHCP OR LHEP
Elliptical polarization 𝑆1 ≠ 0, 𝑆2 = 0, 𝑆3 ≠ 0 𝑆1 > 0 ≡ long axis ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑆1 < 0 ≡ long axis vertical
Fully polarized light 𝑆𝑂 2 = 𝑆1 2 + 𝑆2 2 + 𝑆3 2

Partially polarized light 𝑆𝑂 2 > 𝑆1 2 + 𝑆2 2 + 𝑆3 2

Un-polarized light 𝑆1 = 𝑆2 = 𝑆3 = 0
(7) What are the polarization states of the two independent (incoherent) light beams
with Stokes parameters (1,-1, 0, 0) and (3, 0, 0,-2), and of their sum?

Solution:
The first is fully linearly polarized (vertically, i.e. at 90°)

=1

The second is partially left-hand circularly polarized (P = 0.67) .

Their sum (4,-1, 0,-2) is partially elliptically polarized (long axis vertical) with
P = 5 4 = 0.56.
(8) Two incoherent light beams represented by (1, 1,0,0) and (3,0,0, 3) are
superimposed.
(a) Describe in detail the polarization states of each of these. (b) Determine the
resulting Stokes parameters of the combined beam and describe its polarization state.
(c) What is its degree of polarization? (d) What is the resulting light produced by
overlapping the incoherent beams (1,1,0,0) and (1,- I,0,0) .

Solution:
(a) The first is fully linearly horizontally polarized light, and the second is fully right-
hand circularly polarized light.
(b) Their sum (4, 1, 0,3) is partially right-hand elliptically polarized (long axis
horizontal) light.

(c) = 0.8 .

(d) The resulting light (2,0,0,0) is un-polarized light .

 E. Hecht, "Optics" 4th ed., Addison Wesley, New York (2002) .

 F. G. Smith, T. A. King, D. Wilkins, “Optics and photonics : an

introduction”, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons Ltd. (2007).

 F. L. Pedrotti and L.S. Pedrotti, “Introduction to Optics”, 2nd ed., Prentice-

Hall international Inc. (1993).

 G. R. Fowles, "Introduction to Modern Optics, " 2nd ed., H. Rinehart and

Winston, Inc., New York (1975).