About the linear and elliptic polarization of light

On basis of the known experiments it is considered the existing conceptions about the linear and elliptic polarisation of light. It is shown that the conception of the linear polarization does not have the arguments of physical character, and the conception about existence of the elliptic polarisation was founded on mathematical formulae. Since the direct experimental proof of the light elliptic polarization is lacking it is carried out an analysis of the experimental scheme of the indirect confirmation. It is shown that this scheme cannot give such confirmation.

Точные решения для локальных параметров поляризационных мод в намотанных на катушку spun-световодах с сильным невозмущенным линейным двулучепреломлением. I. Нерезонансная линейная трансформация

The propagation of monochromatic radiation is considered in coiled spun-light guides. It is shown that the local parameters of the elliptic polarization modes, the elliptical birefringence and the angle of ellipticity, are the sum of the constant and variable components. The latter varying in accordance with the harmonic law of the fiber length and the magnitudes of the constant components are substantially larger than the amplitudes of the variable components. It is also shown that the dependence of the local azimuth of the ellipse major axis of eigenpolarization modes increases almost linearly.

Chirality Analysis on a Square Chiral Metamaterial

We have analyzed the chirality of terahertz (THz) wave emission from a square chiral metamaterial. The sample was manufactured with a periodic structure formed by a square pattern of chiral with different depth on a silver film. We have yield the specific polarization rotation in the THz region when the THz wave is emitted from a square chiral metamaterial. The THz emissions from these chiral metamaterials were elliptic polarization. A square chiral metamaterial was shown circular dichroism and optical activity properties at different frequencies. The ellipticity and rotation angle will reach a maximum value at a frequency of 1.2 THz and 0.6 THz, respectively. The results were indicated the possibility to controlled the polarization with chiral metamaterial structures.

Chiral optical fields: a unified formulation of helicity scattered from particles and dichroism enhancement

We establish a general unified formulation which, using the optical theorem of electromagnetic helicity, shows that dichorism is a phenomenon arising in any scattering—or diffraction—process, elastic or not, of chiral electromagnetic fields by objects either chiral or achiral. It is shown how this approach paves the way to overcoming well-known limitations of standard circular dichroism, like its weak signal or the difficulties of using it with magnetodielectric particles. Based on the angular spectrum, representation of optical fields with only right circular or left circular plane waves, we introduce beams with transverse elliptic polarization and possessing a longitudinal component. Then, our formulation for general optical fields shows how to enhance the extinction rate of incident helicity (and therefore the dichroism signal) versus that of energy of the light scattered or emitted by a particle, or vice versa. This article is part of the themed issue ‘New horizons for nanophotonics’.

Swings and roundabouts: optical Poincaré spheres for polarization and Gaussian beams

The connection between Poincaré spheres for polarization and Gaussian beams is explored, focusing on the interpretation of elliptic polarization in terms of the isotropic two-dimensional harmonic oscillator in Hamiltonian mechanics, its canonical quantization and semiclassical interpretation. This leads to the interpretation of structured Gaussian modes, the Hermite–Gaussian, Laguerre–Gaussian and generalized Hermite–Laguerre–Gaussian modes as eigenfunctions of operators corresponding to the classical constants of motion of the two-dimensional oscillator, which acquire an extra significance as families of classical ellipses upon semiclassical quantization. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Optical orbital angular momentum’.