Polarization of a spatially fully coherent electromagnetic beam

    Authors

    E. Wolf

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Mod. Opt.

    Keywords

    Optics

    Abstract

    Using a recently developed unified theory of coherence and polarization [ E. Wolf, Phys. Lett., A312, 263 - 267 ( 2003)] it is shown that a spatially completely coherent random electromagnetic beam can have a degree of polarization P which may take on any value ( 0 less than or equal to P less than or equal to 1) at points in the beam. In particular the beam can be fully polarized at one point and completely unpolarized or partially polarized at another point. This result also holds for electromagnetic beams which are not completely spatially coherent.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Modern Optics

    Volume

    51

    Issue/Number

    5

    Publication Date

    1-1-2004

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    757

    Last Page

    759

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000220200000011

    ISSN

    0950-0340

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