Abstract
A measure of the degree of polarization for the three-dimensional polarization matrix (coherence matrix) of an electromagnetic field is proposed, based on Rayleigh scattering. The degree of polarization at a point is defined as an average, over all scattering directions, of an imagined dipole scattering of the three-dimensional state of polarization. This gives a well-defined purity measure, which, unlike other proposed measures of the three-dimensional degree of polarization, is not a unitary invariant of the matrix. This is demonstrated and discussed for several examples, including a partially polarized transverse beam.
| Translated title of the contribution | A three-dimensional degree of polarization based on Rayleigh scattering |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Pages (from-to) | 2065 - 2069 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of the Optical Society of America A |
| Volume | 24 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2007 |