Fundamental Limits to the Measurement of the Polarization of Classical Light

Abstract

We study the limits that quantum mechanics imposes on the accuracy of the measurement of the Stokes polarization-vector in the case of classical states. Using the apparatus of the conventional Stokes receiver, we propose an estimation method that allows not only to exceed the signal-to-noise limit that is achieved by a heterodyne measurement or after ideal phase-insensitive amplification, but also to achieve the quantum SNR limit for the measurement of classical light. We refer to this receiver scheme as the enhanced Stokes receiver.