Abstract

We show that comparison via majorization provides a powerful tool to examine the coherence of partially polarized electromagnetic waves, including the idea that two field states may or may not be comparable. Through two relevant scenarios, we show that when superimposing comparable unpolarized fields majorization agrees with interferometric visibility, while when combining fields of different degrees of polarization the situation turns out to be richer.

© 2016 Optical Society of America

Resource-theoretic approach to vectorial coherence

G. M. Bosyk, G. Bellomo, and A. Luis
Opt. Lett. 43(7) 1463-1466 (2018)

Majorization applied to diffraction

Alfredo Luis, Isabel Gonzalo, and Miguel A. Porras
Opt. Lett. 41(7) 1624-1627 (2016)

Modulation of coherence of vectorial electromagnetic waves in the Young interferometer

Alfredo Luis
Opt. Lett. 33(13) 1497-1499 (2008)

Connection of electromagnetic degrees of coherence in space–time and space–frequency domains

Lasse-Petteri Leppänen, Ari T. Friberg, and Tero Setälä
Opt. Lett. 41(8) 1821-1824 (2016)

Generation of nearly 3D-unpolarized evanescent optical near fields using total internal reflection

Timo Hassinen, Sergei Popov, Ari T. Friberg, and Tero Setälä
Opt. Lett. 41(13) 2942-2945 (2016)