The number of least degrees of freedom required for a polarization controller to transform any state of polarization to any other output covering the entire Poincaré sphere
Zhang Xiao-Guang(张晓光)a)b)† and Zheng Yuan(郑远)a)b)
a Department of Physics, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China; b Key Laboratory of Optical Communication and Lightwave Technologies，Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China
Abstract Using two typical types of polarization controller, this paper analyses theoretically and experimentally the fact that it is necessary to adjust at least three instead of two waveplates in order to transform any state of polarization to any other output covering the entire Poincaré sphere. The experimental results are exactly in accordance with the theory discussed in this paper. It has corrected the conventional and inaccurate point of view that two waveplates of a polarization controller are adequate to complete the transformation of state of polarization.
Received: 12 October 2007
Revised: 03 January 2008
Accepted manuscript online:
(Optical communication systems, multiplexers, and demultiplexers?)
Fund: Project supported by the National
Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 60577046), the
Corporative Building Project of Beijing Educational Committee of
China (Grant No
XK100130737) and Shandong High Technology Project of China (Grant No 2006GG2201002).
Cite this article:
Zhang Xiao-Guang(张晓光) and Zheng Yuan(郑远) The number of least degrees of freedom required for a polarization controller to transform any state of polarization to any other output covering the entire Poincaré sphere 2008 Chin. Phys. B 17 2509
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