Assessing the polarization of a quantum field from stokes fluctuations

Klimov AB, Bjoerk G, Soederholm J, Madsen LS, Lassen M, Andersen UL, Heersink J, Dong R, Marquardt C, Leuchs G, Sanchez-Soto LL (2010)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2010

Journal

Physical Review Letters American Physical Society

Book Volume: 105

Article Number: 153602

Journal Issue: 15

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.153602

Abstract

We propose an operational degree of polarization in terms of the variance of the Stokes vector minimized over all the directions of the Poincaré sphere. We examine the properties of this second-order definition and carry out its experimental determination. Quantum states with the same standard (first-order) degree of polarization are correctly discriminated by this new measure. We argue that a comprehensive quantum characterization of polarization properties requires a whole hierarchy of higher-order degrees. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

Authors with CRIS profile

Christoph Marquardt Lehrstuhl für Experimentalphysik (Optik) Gerhard Leuchs

Involved external institutions

Universidad de Guadalajara (UDEG) MX Mexico (MX) Royal Institute of Technology / Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) SE Sweden (SE) Technical University of Denmark / Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) DK Denmark (DK) Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Klimov, A.B., Bjoerk, G., Soederholm, J., Madsen, L.S., Lassen, M., Andersen, U.L.,... Sanchez-Soto, L.L. (2010). Assessing the polarization of a quantum field from stokes fluctuations. Physical Review Letters, 105(15). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.153602

MLA:

Klimov, A. B., et al. "Assessing the polarization of a quantum field from stokes fluctuations." Physical Review Letters 105.15 (2010).

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