Quaternionic representation and design of depolarizers

Quaternions have been used to represent polarization states and polarization operators. But so far, only polarizers, dichroic or non-depolarizing devices have been represented in that way. We propose a quaternionic representation of perfect as well as partial depolarizers. It leads us to design actu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author Pellat-Finet, Pierre
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 07.05.2024
Subjects
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

Loading…
More Information
Summary:Quaternions have been used to represent polarization states and polarization operators. But so far, only polarizers, dichroic or non-depolarizing devices have been represented in that way. We propose a quaternionic representation of perfect as well as partial depolarizers. It leads us to design actual setups for producing natural (unpolarized) light from an arbitrary partially or completely polarized wave or for reducing the degree of polarization of a wave. We conclude by making the link with Azzam's polarization orthogonalization problem.
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.2405.04196