New polarization singularities of partially coherent light beams

Marat S. Soskin; Peter V. Polyanskii

doi:10.1117/12.840197

8 February 2010 New polarization singularities of partially coherent light beams

Proceedings Volume 7613, Complex Light and Optical Forces IV; 76130G (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.840197
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2010, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

It is shown that for an incoherent superposition of the orthogonally polarized laser beams the polarization singularities of a new type arise at the transversal cross-section of a paraxial combined beam instead of common singularities, such as amplitude zeroes (optical vortices) inherent in scalar fields, and polarization singularities such as C points and L lines inherent in completely coherent vector fields. There are U contours along which the degree of polarization equals zero and the state of polarization is undetermined (singular), and isolated P points where the degree of polarization equals unity and the state of polarization is determined by the non-vanishing component of the combined beam. Optical vortices of the orthogonally polarized component lie under P points. P points differ essentially from C points of singular optics of coherent fields by the absence of topological charge and certain morphology of heighborhood (S, M, L). Crossing U line is accompanied by step-like change of the state of polarization onto orthogonal one (sign principle). U and P singularities are represented at a whole Stokes space, namely at and inside of the Poincare sphere. Correlation among completely coherent and completely incoherent vector singularities is considered for the first time. First experimental examples of reconstruction of the combined beam's vector skeleton formed by U and P singularities as the extrema of the complex degree of polarization are given.

Citation Download Citation

Marat S. Soskin and Peter V. Polyanskii "New polarization singularities of partially coherent light beams", Proc. SPIE 7613, Complex Light and Optical Forces IV, 76130G (8 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.840197

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