Polarization

Jones vector & matrices

Phys 375

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Matrix treatment of polarization
 Consider a light ray with an instantaneous E-
vector as shown
y 
E  z, t   iˆE x  z , t   ˆjE y  z , t 

Ey
i  kz t  x 
x
E x  Eox e
Ex


i kz t  y 
E y  Eoy e
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Matrix treatment of polarization
 Combining the components
 i  kz t  x  i  kz t  y 
ˆ
E  i Eox e ˆ
 jEoy e

ˆ  i x
E  i Eox e  jEoy e e ˆ i y

i  kz t 

 ~ i  kz t 
E  Eo e
 The terms in brackets represents the complex
amplitude of the plane wave

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Jones Vectors
 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
~
~  Eox   i x
Eox e  i x 
Eox 
Eo   ~    iy 
e  i 
 Eoy   Eoy e   Eoy e 

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Jones vector: Horizontally polarized light
The arrows indicate
the sense of
movement as the
 The electric field oscillations are beam approaches you
only along the x-axis
y
 The Jones vector is then written,

~ E
~  Eox   Eox e i x   A 1  x
Eo   ~    
    A 0 
 oy   0   0 
E  

where we have set the phase x = The normalized form

0, for convenience is
1 
0 
  5
Jones vector: Vertically polarized light

 The electric field oscillations y

are only along the y-axis
 The Jones vector is then 
E
written, x

~
~  Eox   0   0  0
Eo   ~    i y      A  
 Eoy   Eoy e   A 1 
 Where we have set the The normalized form
phase y = 0, for is
convenience 0 
1
  6
Jones vector: Linearly polarized light at
an arbitrary angle
 If the phases are such that  = m for m =
0, 1, 2, 3, … y
 Then we must have,

Ex m Eox x
   1
Ey Eoy
and the Jones vector is simply a line
inclined at an angle  = tan-1(Eoy/Eox)
since we can write

~
~  E  m cos  
Eo   ~   A  1 
ox

E
 oy   sin   7
Circular polarization
y
 Suppose Eox = Eoy = A
and Ex leads Ey by x
90o=/2
 At the instant Ex reaches
its maximum
displacement (+A), Ey is t=0, Ey = 0, Ex = +A
zero
t=T/8, Ey = +Asin 45o, Ex = Acos45o
 A fourth of a period later,
Ex is zero and Ey=+A
t=T/4, Ey = +A, Ex = 0

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Circular polarization
 The Jones vector for this case – where Ex leads Ey is
~  Eox e x   A 
i
1
Eo   i y    i   A 
 Eoy e   Ae  i 
2

 The normalized form is,

1 1
i 
2  
 This vector represents circularly polarized light, where
E rotates counterclockwise, viewed head-on
 This mode is called left-circularly polarized light
 What is the corresponding vector for right-circularly
polarized light?
1 1
Replace /2 with -/2 to get  i 
2  
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Elliptically polarized light
 If Eox  Eoy , e.g. if Eox=A and Eoy = B
 The Jones vector can be written
 A counterclockwise
iB 
 

 A 
 iB  clockwise
 

Here A>B 10
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
 E oy e   

a 
x
2 Eox Eoy cos  Eox
tan 2 
E ox2  E oy2

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Optical elements: Linear polarizer

 Selectively removes all or most of the E-

vibrations except in a given direction
y
TA

Linear polarizer

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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.
Thus,
 a b  0  0 
 c d  1  1
    
Operating on horizontally polarized light,

 a b  1   0 
 c d  0   0 
    
0 0  Linear polarizer with TA
Thus, M   vertical.
 0 1  13
Jones matrix for a linear polarizer
 For a linear polarizer with a transmission
axis at 

 cos  2
sin  cos  
M  
sin  cos  sin  
2

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Optical elements: Phase retarder
 Introduces a phase difference (Δ) between
orthogonal components
 The fast axis(FA) and slow axis (SA) are shown
y
FA

x
SA

Retardation plate

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Jones matrix of a phase retarder
 We wish to find a matrix which will transform the elements
as follows: E e i x int o E e i   x  x 
ox ox
i y 
i  y  y 
Eoy e int o Eoy e
 It is easy to show by inspection that,

e i x 0 
M  i y 
 0 e 
 Here x and y represent the advance in phase of the
components

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Jones matrix of 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    e 4
0 i 
i
 0 e 4

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Jones matrices: Half-wave Plate
 For |Δ| = 
 e  i 2 0   i 1 0 HWP, SA vertical
M    e 2
0  1
i 
 0 e 2  

e i 2 0  i 1 0
M    e 2
0  1
i  HWP, SA horizontal
 0 e 2  

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Optical elements:
Quarter/Half wave plate
 When the net phase difference
Δ = /2 : Quarter-wave plate
Δ =  : Half-wave plate
/2


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Optical elements: Rotator
 Rotates the direction of linearly polarized
light by a particular angle 
y

x

SA

Rotator

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Jones matrix for a rotator
 An E-vector oscillating linearly at  is rotated by
an angle 
 Thus, the light must be converted to one that
oscillates linearly at ( +  )
a b  cos  cos     
c 
 d   sin    sin      

cos   sin  
 One then finds M  
 sin  cos  

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