Fundamentals of Polarized Light

Comprehensive coverage of light polarization theory and its practical applications in today’s cutting-edge technologies<br /> <br /> Besides being indispensable to modern investigations into the physical world, light polarization is a fundamental component of several revolutionary technological innovations in such diverse fields as telecommunications, pollution control, and medical diagnostics. Yet there is a conspicuous dearth of texts and professional references providing researchers and engineers with a unified, comprehensive treatment of basic light polarization theory and its applications to current microwave and optical technology. This book fills that gap in the literature.<br /> <br /> Fundamentals of Polarized Light serves equally well as an advanced text for physics and electrical engineering students and a professional reference for practicing engineers and researchers. It combines a rational, integrated presentation of the theory behind modern applications of light polarization with several demonstrations of current applications. A key feature of the book is that the analysis of polarized light and its interaction with linear optical media is presented from a statistical point of view.<br /> <br /> Topics covered include:<br /> * Historical foundations of polarized light<br /> * Classical radiation field theory and Maxwell’s equations<br /> * Statistical theory of partial polarization, including a discussion of the thermodynamics of radiation fields<br /> * Propagation of polarized light through linear optical systems<br /> * Polarization transfer matrix methods for describing changes in polarization states that occur during reflection and refraction<br /> * Propagation of partially polarized waves in disordered systems and anisotropic media<br /> * Polarizers, compensators, and other optical components<br /> * Measurements of the Jones and Mueller polarization matrices