中国物理B ›› 2008, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (7): 2509-2513.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/17/7/027

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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

张晓光, 郑远   

  1. Department of Physics, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China;Key Laboratory of Optical Communication and Lightwave Technologies，Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100
  • 收稿日期:2007-10-12 修回日期:2008-01-03 出版日期:2008-07-09 发布日期:2008-07-09
  • 基金资助:
    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).

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)   

  1. 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
  • Received:2007-10-12 Revised:2008-01-03 Online:2008-07-09 Published:2008-07-09
  • Supported by:
    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).

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摘要： 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 Poincar\'{e} 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.

关键词: polarization controller, degree of freedom, state of polarization

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.

Key words: polarization controller, degree of freedom, state of polarization

中图分类号:  (Birefringence, polarization)

  • 42.81.Gs
42.79.Sz (Optical communication systems, multiplexers, and demultiplexers?)