TY - JOUR
T1 - Geometric interpretation of the Pancharatnam connection and non-cyclic polarization changes
AU - van Dijk, T.
AU - Schouten, H.
AU - Visser, T.D.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - If the state of polarization of a monochromatic light beam is changed in a cyclical manner, the beam acquires-in addition to the usual dynamic phase-a geometric phase. This geometric or Pancharatnam-Berry phase equals half the solid angle of the contour traced out on the Poincaré sphere. We show that such a geometric interpretation also exists for the Pancharatnam connection, the criterion according to which two beams with different polarization states are said to be in phase. This interpretation offers what is to our knowledge a new and intuitive method to calculate the geometric phase that accompanies non-cyclic polarization changes. © 2010 Optical Society of America.
AB - If the state of polarization of a monochromatic light beam is changed in a cyclical manner, the beam acquires-in addition to the usual dynamic phase-a geometric phase. This geometric or Pancharatnam-Berry phase equals half the solid angle of the contour traced out on the Poincaré sphere. We show that such a geometric interpretation also exists for the Pancharatnam connection, the criterion according to which two beams with different polarization states are said to be in phase. This interpretation offers what is to our knowledge a new and intuitive method to calculate the geometric phase that accompanies non-cyclic polarization changes. © 2010 Optical Society of America.
U2 - 10.1364/JOSAA.27.001972
DO - 10.1364/JOSAA.27.001972
M3 - Article
SN - 1084-7529
VL - 27
SP - 1972
EP - 1976
JO - Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image, science, and vision
JF - Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image, science, and vision
IS - 9
ER -