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Field Guide to Polarization

Author(s): Edward Collett
Published: 26 September 2005
Print ISBN13: 9780819458681
Print ISBN10: 0819458686
eISBN: 9780819478207
DOI: 10.1117/3.626141
Vol: FG05
Pages: 148
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Description

The polarization of light is one of the most remarkable phenomena in nature and has led to numerous discoveries and applications. The nature and mathematical formulation of unpolarized light and partially polarized light were not readily forthcoming until the 1950s, when questions about polarized light and the mathematical tools to deal with it began to be addressed in earnest. As a result, there is a very good understanding of polarized light today.

The primary objective of this Guide is to provide an introduction to the developments in polarized light that have taken place over the past half-century and present the most salient topics of the subject matter such as Mueller matrices, Stokes polarization parameters, and Jones matrices.

Keywords: polarized light, Mueller matrices, polarizer, Fresnel, Malus, birefringence, polarization, wave plate

Table of Contents

Excerpt

The polarization of light is one of the most remarkable phenomena in nature and has led to numerous discoveries and applications. Today it continues to play a vital role in optics. Before the 1950s there was very little activity on the foundations of polarized light. For example, answers to questions such as the nature and mathematical formulation of unpolarized light and partially polarized light were not readily forthcoming. Today there is a very good understanding of polarized light. In particular, the mathematical difficulties that had hindered complex polarization calculations were finally overcome with the introduction of the Mueller-Stokes matrix calculus and the Jones matrix calculus. Research in polarized light continues with much vigor as witnessed by the continued appearance of numerous publications and conferences.

The primary objective of this Guide is to provide an introduction to the developments in polarized light that have taken place over the past half-century. In this Guide I have tried to present the most salient topics on the subject. Hopefully, this Field Guide will enable the reader to have a good grasp of the material and most of all to allow him or her to be comfortable and even delighted with the beauty and subject of polarized light.

Finally, this Field Guide is dedicated to my wife, Mary Ann, and my children Ron and Greg. Their encouragement and support greatly simplified the task of writing this Guide.

Edward Collett

Georgian Court University

Lakewood, New Jersey



©2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
DOI: 10.1117/3.626141

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