Fundamentals of Polarized Light: A Statistical Optics Approach - Hardcover

Brosseau, Christian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471143022 ISBN 13: 9780471143024

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience, 1998

Synopsis

Comprehensive coverage of light polarization theory and its practical applications in today's cutting-edge technologies

Besides being indispensable to modern investigations into the physical world, light polarization is a fundamental component of several revolutionary technological innovations in such diverse fields as telecommunications, pollution control, and medical diagnostics. Yet there is a conspicuous dearth of texts and professional references providing researchers and engineers with a unified, comprehensive treatment of basic light polarization theory and its applications to current microwave and optical technology. This book fills that gap in the literature.

Fundamentals of Polarized Light serves equally well as an advanced text for physics and electrical engineering students and a professional reference for practicing engineers and researchers. It combines a rational, integrated presentation of the theory behind modern applications of light polarization with several demonstrations of current applications. A key feature of the book is that the analysis of polarized light and its interaction with linear optical media is presented from a statistical point of view.

Topics covered include:
* Historical foundations of polarized light
* Classical radiation field theory and Maxwell's equations
* Statistical theory of partial polarization, including a discussion of the thermodynamics of radiation fields
* Propagation of polarized light through linear optical systems
* Polarization transfer matrix methods for describing changes in polarization states that occur during reflection and refraction
* Propagation of partially polarized waves in disordered systems and anisotropic media
* Polarizers, compensators, and other optical components
* Measurements of the Jones and Mueller polarization matrices

About this title

From the Publisher

Polarization of light is applicable to many industries such as optical communication, biological optics, atmoshpere propagation, and display technologies. Recent developments in this field as well as its beginnings are well-documented in this book with a review of central ideas and theories. Essential mathematical detail is used to illustrate concepts.

About the Author

CHRISTIAN BROSSEAU received a PhD degree in physics from Fourier University, Grenoble, France, in 1989. He was a postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard from 1989 to 1990 and then joined Fourier University as an associate research physicist. In 1997, he became a physics professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Brest, France. His primary research interests include the physics of heterogeneous materials and theoretical optics.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0471143022
• ISBN 13: 9780471143024
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 424