Linear Polarization Basis Research Articles

Adding/dropping polarization multiplexed cylindrical vector beams with local polarization-matched plasmonic metasurface.

Here we propose a polarization-dependent gradient phase modulation strategy and fabricate a local polarization-matched metasurface to add/drop polarization multiplexed cylindrical vector beams (CVBs). The two orthogonal linear polarization states in CVB multiplexing will represent as radial- and azimuthal-polarized CVBs, which means that we must introduce independent wave vectors to them for adding/dropping the polarization channels. By designing the rotation angle and geometric sizes of a meta-atom, a local polarization-matched propagation phase plasmonic metasurface is constructed, and the polarization-dependent gradient phases were loaded to perform this operation. As a proof of concept, the polarization multiplexed CVBs, carrying 150-Gbit/s quadrature phase shift keying signals, are successfully added and dropped, and the bit error rates approach 1 × 10-6. In addition to representing a route for adding/dropping polarization multiplexed CVBs, other functional phase modulation of arbitrary orthogonal linear polarization bases is expected, which might find potential applications in polarization encryption imaging, spatial polarization shaping, etc.

Comparison of Circular and Linear Orthogonal Polarization Bases in Electromagnetic Field Parameters Measurement

Comparison of Circular and Linear Orthogonal Polarization Bases in Electromagnetic Field Parameters Measurement

Impact of Polarization Basis on Wind and Wave Parameters Estimation Using the Azimuth Cutoff From GF-3 SAR Imagery

The azimuth cutoff wavelength of SAR is an important parameter for retrieval of sea surface wind and wave. Earlier studies have fully demonstrated the substantial dependence of azimuth cutoff wavelength on polarization, but the present studies only focus on H-V linear polarization bases (HH, HV/VH, and VV) without considering the effects of other polarization bases (e.g., linear rotated, circular, and elliptical polarization). Benefiting from the quad-polarization advantage of GaoFen-3 SAR wave mode data and the support of polarization basis transformation theory, this study used 4,648 SAR data to study the correlation between cutoff wavelength and wind and wave parameters (e.g., significant wave height, and wind speed) under different polarization bases, and analyzed the variation of correlation coefficient caused by polarization basis change. Finally, the results were applied to evaluating the performance of wind and wave parameters retrieval. The results of the study show that the azimuth cutoff is strongly dependent on the polarization state of electromagnetic wave. The azimuth cutoff wavelength under the elliptical polarization bases has higher correlation with wind and wave than that under H-V linear, circular, and linear rotated polarization bases. Using the azimuth cutoff wavelength of the elliptical polarization bases can significantly improve the retrieval accuracy of wind and wave parameters. This study shall enhance the capabilities of polarized SAR systems to precisely derive more ocean surface properties. The result implies that polarization basis is an important factor that must be considered in future ocean SAR studies.

Use of Orthogonally Linearly Polarized Waves Radiated from a Radio Beacon in the Modulation Methods for Measuring Aircraft Bearing and Roll

On the basis of using the Jones vectors and matrices, we develop the polarization-modulation method for determining the aircraft bearing and roll by the radio-beacon radiated waves with orthogonal linear polarization, which was proposed in [1]. The waves are simultaneously radiated from two points with the known coordinates, which are spaced in the measurement plane. The engineering realization of the method, which is based on using the polarization modulator placed in the single-channel microwave transmission line of an onboard receiving antenna of an aircraft, is considered. The polarization modulator has the form of the rotating segment of a circular waveguide with a built-in half-wave phase plate. Mathematical expressions, which provide a clear physical understanding of the aircraft bearing and roll relation to polarization and spectral characteristics of the resulting onboard-recorded wave field of the radio beacon in the linear polarization basis, are presented.

Interpretation and Analysis of Target Scattering From Fully-Polarized ISAR Images Using Pauli Decomposition Scheme for Target Recognition

An assessment of polarimetric inverse synthetic aperture radar (Pol-ISAR) imaging is accomplished for realistic target models with the use of our recently developed high-frequency radar cross-section simulator tool called PREDICS. X-band, narrow-angle and full-polarimetric ISAR data for the CAD models of the well-known test object SLICY and a ground vehicle, namely a backhoe loader are analyzed to infer their structural characteristics. Experimental data obtained from a tower-turntable ISAR measurements of a T-72 tank target have also been utilized to assess the validity of the simulator. First, the intensity images in linear and circular polarization bases are directly utilized to evaluate the data quality and to characterize target features for classification. Then, the Pauli image decomposition scheme is applied to separate the basic scattering mechanisms occurring at target pixels. The identifiable canonical target forms are successfully extracted as single, double and multi-bounce scattering mechanisms that are pinpointed at their true locations. The results indicate that PREDICS is able to generate high-fidelity synthetic Pol-ISAR signatures of complex targets whereby successful interpretation of innumerous target scattering mechanisms and features can be achieved through Pauli decomposition scheme for classification purposes.

Generation of polarization singularities with geometric metasurfaces

The polarization singularities are directly generated by using plasmonic metasurfaces with the geometric phase profiles designed to form the Poincaré beams. Different morphologies of polarization topological structures of lemon, star, monstar, spiral, dipole and quadrupole are created by the superpositions of Laguerre–Gauss modes with different orders under orthogonal circular or linear polarization basis. The polarization ellipse patterns and topological features of the produced optical vector fields are analyzed to reveal the properties of the polarization singularities of C-points and L-lines, and the orbital angular momentum states are also measured. The demonstrated polarization singularities generated from the geometric metasurfaces will promise many potential applications related to optical polarization imaging, metrology, optical trapping and quantum information processing.

Optical polarization shift in beams emitted by quantum cascade lasers

In this paper, we present experimental results of current-induced polarization change and transverse mode change in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. The polarization of laser beam was determined by measuring of far-field distributions of polarization projection on the linear polarization basis. The measured amount of TE-polarized light is associated with transversal mode structure, which was determined based on the far-field power distributions. The TE polarized light contribution in the beams varies from 6 to 19%. This quantity is anti-correlated to the fundamental transverse mode contribution.

Polarization Amplitude-Based Method of Determining the Bearing and Roll Angles of an Object in Motion from Orthogonal Circularly Polarized Signals of a Radio Beacon

The possibility of determining the bearing and roll angles of an object in motion is investigated based on orthogonal left- and right-hand circularly polarized signals simultaneously radiated by a radio beacon from two points with the known coordinates spatially spaced in the horizontal plane. The bearing and roll angles are determined onboard the object in motion using a two-channel receiving system based on polarization amplitude-based processing of resultant vector signals received in a linear polarization basis.

Focus shaping by tailoring arbitrary hybrid polarization states that have a combination of orthogonal linear polarization bases.

We report a focus shaping method by tailoring hybrid states of polarization of arbitrary polarized beams that have a combination of orthogonal linear polarization bases. Such hybridly polarized beams comprising linear, elliptical, and circular polarizations in the beam cross section, have completely different optical properties compared to the scalar and locally linear-polarized vector beams. We demonstrate that, apart from the orientation of the local polarization state, another two degrees of freedom including the local ellipticity and the handedness in the beam cross section can be used in focus shaping. Square-shaped patterns, multiple foci, three-dimensional optical cages, optical needles, and channels can be obtained due to the increased control without any additional phase or amplitude modulations.

Dual differential polarimetry. A technique to recover polarimetric information from dual-polarization observations

Current mm/submm interferometers, like the Atacama Large mm/submm Array (ALMA), use receivers that register the sky signal in a linear polarization basis. In the case of observations performed in full-polarization mode (where the cross-correlations are computed among all the polarization channels) it is possible to reconstruct the full-polarization brightness distribution of the observed sources, as long as a proper calibration of delay offsets and leakage among polarization channels can be performed. Observations of calibrators, preferably with some linear polarization, with a good parallactic angle coverage are usually needed for such a calibration. In principle, dual-polarization observations only allow us to recover the Stokes $I$ intensity distribution of the sources, regardless of the parallactic angle coverage of the observations. In this paper, we present a novel technique of dual differential polarimetry that makes it possible to obtain information related to the full-polarization brightness distribution of the observed sources from dual-polarization observations. This technique is inspired in the Earth-rotation polarization synthesis and can be applied even to sources with complex structures.

다중편파 데이터를 이용한 표적 산란점 추출에 대한 연구

본 논문에서는 다중 편파(polarimetry) 데이터를 이용한 산란점(scattering center) 추출 알고리즘을 소개하고자 한다. 산란파 계산을 위해 상용 툴인 VIRAF(virtual aircraft framework)의 물리 광학법(Physical Optics: PO)/물리광학 회절이론(Physical Theory of Diffraction: PTD)을 사용하여 표적 표면과 모서리에 의한 산란을 각각 계산하였다. 또한, 단위 변환(unitary transformation)을 이용하여 선형 기저(linear basis) 기반 4-채널 데이터를 수평/수직-좌원형 기저(horizontal/vertical-circular basis) 2-채널 데이터로 변환하였고, 그 결과 데이터를 코히런트하게 압축할 수 있었다. 스펙트럼 추정 방법(spectral estimation technique)에 하나인 2차원 RELAX 알고리즘을 사용하여 산란점(scattering center) 추출을 하였고, 편파 방향과 관측각도 변화에 따른 산란현상을 각각 분석하였다. In this paper, we introduce a method of scattering centers extraction using the polarimetric data. VIRAF software based on the PO (Physical Optics) and PTD(Physical Theory of Diffraction) were used to calculate the surface scattering and the edge or wedge scattering, respectively. In addition, by using the unitary transformation, 4-channel data based on the linear polarization basis were converted to 2-channel data based on the left/vertical-circular polarization basis, leading to data compression coherently. The scattering mechanism was analyzed in terms of the polarization states and different look angles by using the scattering center of a target extracted by the 2D RELAX algorithm.

Optimized weak measurements of Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts in partial reflection.

The spatial and the angular variants of the Imbert-Federov (IF) beam shifts and the angular Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift contribute in a complex interrelated way to the resultant beam shift in partial reflection at planar dielectric interfaces. Here, we show that the two variants of the IF effects can be decoupled and separately observed by weak value amplification and subsequent conversion of spatial ↔angular nature of the beam shifts using appropriate pre and post selection of polarization states. Such optimized weak measurement schemes also enable one to nullify one effect (either the GH or the IF) and exclusively observe the other. We experimentally demonstrate this and illustrate various other intriguing manifestations of optimized weak measurements in elliptical and / or linear polarization basis. We also present a Poincare sphere based analysis on conversion / retention of the angular or spatial nature of the shifts with pre and post selection of states in weak measurement. The demonstrated ability to amplify, controllably decouple or combine the beam shifts via weak measurements may prove to be valuable for understanding the different physical contributions of the effects and for their applications in sensing and precision metrology.

Calibration of mixed-polarization interferometric observations

Heterodyne receivers register the sky signal on either a circular polarization basis (where it is split into left-hand and right-hand circular polarization) or a linear polarization basis (where it is split into horizontal and vertical linear polarization). We study the problem of interferometric observations performed with telescopes that observe on different polarization bases, hence producing visibilities that we call "mixed basis" (i.e., linear in one telescope and circular in the other). We present novel algorithms for the proper calibration and treatment of such interferometric observations and test our algorithms with both simulations and real data. The use of our algorithms will be important for the optimum calibration of forthcoming observations with the Atacama Large mm/submm Array (ALMA) in very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) mode. Our algorithms will also allow us to optimally calibrate future VLBI observations at very high data rates (i.e., wide bandwidths), where linear-polarization feeds will be preferable at some stations, to overcome the polarimetric limitations due to the use of quarter-wave plates.

Investigations of the polarization behavior of quantum cascade lasers by Stokes parameters.

We experimentally investigate the full polarization behavior of mid-infrared emitting quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) in terms of measuring the complete Stokes parameters, instead of only projecting them on a linear polarization basis. We demonstrate that besides the pre-dominant linear TM polarization of the emitted light as governed by the selection rules of the intersubband transition, small non-TM contributions, e.g.,circularly polarized light, are present reflecting the birefringent behavior of the semiconductor quantum well waveguide. Surprisingly unique is the persistence of these polarization properties well below laser threshold. These investigations give further insight into understanding, manipulating, and exploiting the polarization properties of QCLs, both from a laser point of view and with respect toward applications.

Deterministic generation of bright single resonance fluorescence photons from a Purcell-enhanced quantum dot-micropillar system.

We report on the observation of bright emission of single photons under pulsed resonance fluorescence conditions from a single quantum dot (QD) in a micropillar cavity. The brightness of the QD fluorescence is greatly enhanced via the coupling to the fundamental mode of a micropillar, allowing us to determine a single photon extraction efficiency of (20.7 ± 0.8) % per linear polarization basis. This yields an overall extraction efficiency of (41.4 ± 1.5) % in our device. We observe the first Rabi-oscillation in a weakly coupled quantum dot-micropillar system under coherent pulsed optical excitation, which enables us to deterministically populate the excited QD state. In this configuration, we probe the single photon statistics of the device yielding g(2)(0) = 0.072 ± 0.011 at a QD-cavity detuning of 75 μeV.

Simultaneous weak value amplification of angular Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts in partial reflection.

The optical analogue of quantum weak measurements has shown considerable promise for the amplification and observation of tiny optical beam shifts, namely Goos-Hänchen (GH) and Imbert-Fedorov (IF) shifts. Here, we demonstrate simultaneous weak value amplification of both the angular GH and the IF shifts in partial reflection of a fundamental Gaussian beam at planar dielectric interfaces. We employ pre and postselection schemes with appropriate linear polarization basis states for simultaneous weak measurements and amplification of both of these shifts. The experimentally observed enhancement of the beam shifts and their dependence on the angle of incidence are analyzed/interpreted via theoretical treatment of weak measurements.

Uniform Polarimetric Matrix Rotation Theory and Its Applications

This paper presents the development of a uniform polarimetric matrix rotation theory in the rotation domain along the radar line of sight for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data interpretation. The uniform representation of each coherency matrix element is a sinusoidal function in the rotation domain. A set of oscillation parameters, including oscillation amplitude, oscillation center, angular frequency, and initial angle, is proposed to fully characterize the scattering behavior in the rotation domain. A set of rotation angle parameters, including stationary angle, null angle, and minimization/maximization angles, is derived to indicate specific states of the rotation property. The rotation relationships between the coherency and covariance matrices with linear and circular polarization bases are established. A look-up table for these parameters is provided, and their physical meanings are interpreted. These derived parameters directly link to the Huynen parameters. Therefore, the proposed theory has the ability to achieve a desired state of one Huynen parameter by rotating the polarimetric matrix at a designated rotation angle. This theory also generalizes both the classic polarization orientation angle originally derived from the covariance matrix in a circular polarization basis and the deorientation theory developed from the minimization of the cross-polarization term. The roll-invariant terms have also been summarized. Finally, multifrequency Pi-SAR and AIRSAR PolSAR data sets are used to demonstrate the derived parameters. One oscillation amplitude parameter has been verified to be especially suitable for characterization of oriented man-made targets. Two angle parameters are sensitive to the reflection symmetry condition and crop types. Therefore, a simple unsupervised classification scheme has been developed and demonstrated. Further utilization perspectives of the proposed theory have been discussed.

On the forward scattering of microwave breast imaging.

Microwave imaging for breast cancer detection has been of significant interest for the last two decades. Recent studies focus on solving the imaging problem using an inverse scattering approach. Efforts have mainly been focused on the development of the inverse scattering algorithms, experimental setup, antenna design and clinical trials. However, the success of microwave breast imaging also heavily relies on the quality of the forward data such that the tumor inside the breast volume is well illuminated. In this work, a numerical study of the forward scattering data is conducted. The scattering behavior of simple breast models under different polarization states and aspect angles of illumination are considered. Numerical results have demonstrated that better data contrast could be obtained when the breast volume is illuminated using cross-polarized components in linear polarization basis or the copolarized components in the circular polarization basis.

Quantum correlations and violation of the Bell inequality induced by an external field in a two-photon radiative cascade

We study the polarization dependent second order correlation of a pair of photons emitted in a four level radiative cascade driven by an external field. It is found that the quantum correlations of the emitted photons, degraded by the energy splitting of the intermediate levels in the radiative cascade can be efficiently revived by a far detuned external field. The physics of this revival is linked to an induced stark shift and the formation of dressed states in the system by the non-resonant external field. Further, we investigated the competition between the effect of the coherent external field and incoherent dephasing of the intermediate levels. We found that the degradation of quantum correlations due to the incoherent dephasing can be content for small dephasing with the external field. We also studied the non-locality of the correlations by evaluating the Bell's inequality in the linear polarization basis for the radiative cascade. We find that the Bell parameter decreases rapidly with increase in the intermediate level energy splitting or incoherent dephasing rate to the extent that there is no violation. However, the presence of an external field leads to control over the degrading mechanisms and preservation of nonlocal correlation among the photons. This in turn can induce, violation of Bell's inequality in the radiative cascade for arbitrary intermediate level splitting and small incoherent dephasing.

A Dual-Linearly-Polarized MEMS-Reconfigurable Antenna for Narrowband MIMO Communication Systems

The design and characterization is described of a compact dual-linearly-polarized reconfigurable 2-port antenna. The antenna can operate in two different selectable linear polarization bases, thus being capable of reconfiguring/rotating its polarization base from vertical/horizontal (0°/90°), to slant ±45°. The antenna has been implemented on a quartz substrate, and uses monolithically integrated micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches to select between the two aforementioned polarization bases. The antenna operates at 3.8 GHz and presents a fractional bandwidth of 1.7%. The interest of the proposed antenna is two-fold. First, in LOS scenarios, the antenna enables polarization tracking in polarization-sensitive communication schemes. Second, there are the gains of using it in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system employing orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC) to improve the diversity order/gain of the system in NLOS conditions. These benefits were verified through channel measurements conducted in LOS and NLOS propagation scenarios. Despite the simplicity of the antenna, the achievable polarization matching gains (in LOS scenarios) and diversity gains (in NLOS scenarios) are remarkable. These gains come at no expenses of introducing additional receive ports to the system (increasing the number of radio-frequency (RF) transceivers), rather as a result of the reconfigurable capabilities of the proposed antenna.