Jones Vector and Matrices

Stokes Vector and Mueller

Matrices
 Matrix treatment of polarization

• Consider a light ray with an instantaneous E-

vector as shown

E (z, t ) = iˆEx (z, t ) + ˆjE y (z, t )
y

Ey
i ( kz−t + x )
x
E x = Eox e
Ex

(
i kz−t + y )
E y = Eoy e
 Plane waves with k along z direction
oscillating (vibrating) electric field
y y

x x

Any polarization state can be described as linear combination of these two:

 i ( kz−t + x ) i (kz−t + y )
E = E0 x e x + E0 y e
ˆ yˆ

( )
E = E0 x ei x xˆ + E0 y e y yˆ ei (kz−t )
i

“complex amplitude”
contains all polarization info
 Vector representation
Jones Vectors

( )
E = E0 x ei x xˆ + E0 y e y yˆ ei (kz−t )
i

• The state of polarization of light is determined by

– the relative amplitudes (Eox, Eoy) and,
– the relative phases ( = y - x )
of these components
• The complex amplitude is written as a two-element
matrix, the Jones vector
~ i x
~  Eox   Eox e  i x 
Eox 
Eo =  ~  =  iy 
=e  i 
 Eoy   Eoy e   Eoy e 

Common phase factor can be suppressed without loosing any information on

polarization state.
 Normalization

𝐸෨𝑜𝑥 𝐸𝑜𝑥 𝑒 𝑖𝜙𝑥 𝐸𝑜𝑥

෨
𝐸𝑜 = ෨ = =𝑒 𝑖𝜙 𝑥
𝐸𝑜𝑦 𝐸𝑜𝑦 𝑒 𝑖𝜙𝑦 𝐸𝑜𝑦 𝑒 𝑖𝛿

Ignoring the phase factor eifx , the normalized Jones vector can be put in the form

𝐸෨𝑜𝑥 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
=
𝐸෨𝑜𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑒 𝑖𝛿

𝐸0𝑥
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 =
2 2
𝐸0𝑥 + 𝐸0𝑦

𝐸0𝑦
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 =
2 2
𝐸0𝑥 + 𝐸0𝑦
Linearly Polarized light
Linearly polarized light can be characterized by the horizontal and vertical
components of the electric field oscillating in phase or out of phase
• The electric field oscillations make an angle a with respect to the x-axis
If q = 0°, horizontally polarized
If q = 90°, vertically polarized
• If the phases are such that  = m for
m = 0, 1, 2, 3, …
• Then we must have,

= (− 1)
Ex m Eox

Ey Eoy
y
and the Jones vector is simply a line inclined at an
angle q = tan-1(Eoy/Eox)
q
since we can write x

𝐸෨𝑜𝑥 cos 𝜃
𝐸෨𝑜 = ෨ = 𝐴 −1 𝑚
𝐸𝑜𝑦 sin 𝜃
Jones vector for horizontally polarized light
• The electric field oscillations are only y
along the x-axis

• The Jones vector is then written, E
x
~
~  E   E e i x
  A 1
E0 =  ~  = 
0x 0x
 =   = A 
 E0 y   0   0  0 
where we have set the phase x = 0, for
convenience The arrows indicate
the sense of movement
as the beam
• Normalized form: 1  approaches you
0 
 
Jones vector for vertically polarized light
• The electric field oscillations are only y
along the y-axis

• The Jones vector is then written, E
x
~
~  E   0  0 0 
E0 =  ~  = 
0x
i y  =   = A 
 E0 y   E0 y e   A 1
where we have set the phase y = 0, for
convenience The arrows indicate
the sense of movement
as the beam
• Normalized form: 0  approaches you
1 
 
For 45o polarization
 Circular polarization

• Suppose E0x = E0y = A,

and Ex leads Ey by 90o = /2

• At the instant Ex reaches its maximum

displacement (+A), Ey is zero

• A fourth of a period later, Ex is zero and

Ey = +A

• The vector traces a circular path,

rotating counter-clockwise
 Circular polarization
• The Jones vector for this case – where Ex leads Ey is
i
~  E0 x e x   A  1
E0 =  i y  =  i  = A 
 E0 y e   Ae  i 
2

• The normalized form is

1 1
i  LCP
2 

-This vector represents circularly polarized light, where

E rotates counterclockwise, viewed head-on
-This mode is called left-circularly polarized (LCP) light

• Corresponding vector for RCP light:

1 1
Replace /2 with -/2 to get − i  RCP
2  
 Elliptical polarization
If E0x  E0y , e.g. if E0x = A and E0y = B ,

the Jone vectors can be written as

Direction of rotation?
 A
iB  counterclockwise
 

 A 
− iB
 
clockwise
 Jones vector and polarization
• In general, the Jones vector for the arbitrary
case is an ellipse ( m; (m+1/2))

~  Eox   A  y
Eo =  i  =  B(cos + i sin  ) Eoy
 Eoy e   

a 
x
2 Eox Eoy cos  Eox
tan 2 =
E ox2 − E oy2
 General case
resultant vibration due to two perpendicular components
 =  y −  x
if  = n , a line
else, an ellipse
Effect of optical element on the Jones Vector

matrices
a b 
M= 
c d 
• various optical elements modify polarization

• 2 x 2 matrices describe their effect on light

• matrix elements a, b, c, and d determine the modification

to the polarization state of the light
Optical elements: 1. Linear polarizer
2. Phase retarder
3. Rotator
Optical elements: 1. Linear polarizer
Selectively removes all or most of the E-vibrations
except in a given direction
y
TA

z Linear polarizer
 Jones matrix for a linear polarizer
Consider a linear polarizer with transmission axis along the vertical (y).
Let a 2x2 matrix represent the polarizer operating on vertically polarized light.
The transmitted light must also be vertically polarized.
a(0) + b(1) = 0
 a b  0  0  c(0) + d (1) = 1
 c d  1 = 1 b=0
     d =1
Operating on horizontally polarized light,
a(1) + b(0) = 0
a b  1 0
 c d  0  = 0  c(1) + d (0) = 0
     a=0
c=0

0 0 
M=  For a linear polarizer with TA vertical.
 0 1 
 Jones matrix for a linear polarizer
0 0 
M=
Assignment 2 (Part 2)

For a linear polarizer with TA vertical 

 0 1 

1 0 
For a linear polarizer with TA horizontal M= 
 0 0 

1 1 1
M= 
2 1 1
For a linear polarizer with TA at 45°

 cos2 q sin q cosq 

For a linear polarizer with TA at q M= 
sin q cosq sin q 
2
Optical elements: 2. Phase retarder

y
FA

x
SA

z Retardation plate

• Introduces a phase difference (Δ) between orthogonal

components

• The fast axis (FA) and slow axis (SA) are shown
when  = /2: quarter-wave plate
 = : half-wave plate
 ¼ and ½ wave plates

/2


net phase difference:

Δ = /2 — quarter-wave plate
Δ =  — half-wave plate
Jones matrix for a phase retarder

• We wish to find a matrix which will transform the

elements as follows:
Eox e i x into Eox e i ( x + x )
i y (
i  y + y )
Eoy e into Eoy e
• The matrix for the phase retarders is ,

ei x 0 
M = i y 
 0 e 
• Here x and y represent the advance in phase of
the components
Jones matrix for a quarter wave plate
• Consider a quarter wave plate for which |Δ| = /2

• For y - x = /2 (Slow axis vertical)

• Let x = -/4 and y = /4

• The matrix representing a quarter wave plate, with its

slow axis vertical is,

e −i 4 0  −i 1 0
M = i
=e  4

 0 e 4
 0 i  QWP, SA vertical

i 1 0 
M =e 4
0 − i  QWP, SA horizontal
 
 Jones matrix for a half wave plate
For |Δ| = 
Assignment 2 (Part 2)

e −i 2 0  −i 1 0 HWP, SA vertical

M = i
=e  2

 0 e 2
 0 − 1

ei 2 0  i 2 1 0 
M = −i
=e   HWP, SA horizontal
 0 e  2
 0 − 1
 Optical elements: 3. Rotator
rotates the direction of linearly polarized light by a q

x
q
SA

Rotator
 Jones matrix for a rotator
• An E-vector oscillating linearly at q is rotated by an angle 

• Thus, the light must be converted to one that oscillates

linearly at ( + q )

a b  cosq  cos( + q )
 c d   sin q  =  sin ( + q )
    

cos  − sin  
M =
 sin  cos  
 Multiplying Jones matrices
To model the effects of more than one component on the
polarization state, just multiply the input polarization Jones
vector by all of the Jones matrices:

E1 = A3 A2 A1E0
Remember to use the correct order!

A single Jones matrix (the product of the individual Jones

matrices) can describe the combination of several components.
 Multiplying Jones matrices x

y z
Crossed polarizers: x-pol
E0
E1 = A y A x E0 E1
y-pol

 0 0  1 0   0 0 
Ay Ax =     =  so no light leaks
 0 1  0 0   0 0  through.
rotated
x-pol
Uncrossed polarizers: E0 E1

0 0  1    0 0 y-pol
A y A x(  ) =     = 
 0 1   0    0 
 Ex   0 0   Ex   0 
A y A x( )   =   E  =   So Iout ≈ 2 Iin,x
  
E y  0    x
y  E