Polarized Electric Fields

Scott Prahl

March 2020

This module shows that the basic idea in polarized light is that there is a fixed phase relationship between the electric fields in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Details of the assumptions are given in the Jupyter notebook on Conventions

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import pypolar.jones as jones
import pypolar.visualization as vis

2D represention of a 3D vector fields

Light is propagating in the z-direction. The graphs below are x-y cross sections. The horizontal axis corresponds to the \(E_x\) field and the vertical axis is the \(E_y\) field. The graphs can thought of as time exposures: the blue line shows all values that the polarization field can have.

theta = 0
v = jones.field_linear(np.radians(theta))
print("Jones vector for %d° linearly polarized light (horizontal)" % theta)
vis.draw_jones_animated(v,nframes=32)

Jones vector for 0° linearly polarized light (horizontal)

Once Loop Reflect

theta = 90
v = jones.field_linear(np.radians(theta))
print("Jones vector for %d° linearly polarized light (vertical)" % theta)
vis.draw_jones_animated(v,nframes=32)

Jones vector for 90° linearly polarized light (vertical)

Once Loop Reflect

theta = 45
v = jones.field_linear(np.radians(theta))
print("Jones vector for %d° linearly polarized light" % theta)
vis.draw_jones_animated(v,nframes=32)

Jones vector for 45° linearly polarized light

Once Loop Reflect

v = jones.field_right_circular()
print("Jones vector for right circularly polarized light")
vis.draw_jones_animated(v,nframes=32)

Jones vector for right circularly polarized light

Once Loop Reflect

v = jones.field_left_circular()
print("Jones vector for left circularly polarized light")
vis.draw_jones_animated(v,nframes=32)

Jones vector for left circularly polarized light

Once Loop Reflect