Optical polarization

About: Optical polarization is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 13992 publications have been published within this topic receiving 244284 citations.

Photon-induced near-field electron microscopy

Abstract: In materials science and biology, optical near-field microscopies enable spatial resolutions beyond the diffraction limit, but they cannot provide the atomic-scale imaging capabilities of electron microscopy. Given the nature of interactions between electrons and photons, and considering their connections through nanostructures, it should be possible to achieve imaging of evanescent electromagnetic fields with electron pulses when such fields are resolved in both space (nanometre and below) and time (femtosecond). Here we report the development of photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM), and the associated phenomena. We show that the precise spatiotemporal overlap of femtosecond single-electron packets with intense optical pulses at a nanostructure (individual carbon nanotube or silver nanowire in this instance) results in the direct absorption of integer multiples of photon quanta (nhomega) by the relativistic electrons accelerated to 200 keV. By energy-filtering only those electrons resulting from this absorption, it is possible to image directly in space the near-field electric field distribution, obtain the temporal behaviour of the field on the femtosecond timescale, and map its spatial polarization dependence. We believe that the observation of the photon-induced near-field effect in ultrafast electron microscopy demonstrates the potential for many applications, including those of direct space-time imaging of localized fields at interfaces and visualization of phenomena related to photonics, plasmonics and nanostructures.

Herschel view of the Taurus B211/3 filament and striations: evidence of filamentary growth?

Abstract: We present first results from the Herschel Gould Belt survey for the B211/L1495 region in the Taurus molecular cloud. Thanks to their high sensitivity and dynamic range, the Herschel images reveal the structure of the dense, star-forming filament B211 with unprecedented detail, along with the presence of striations perpendicular to the filament and generally oriented along the magnetic field direction as traced by optical polarization vectors. Based on the column density and dust temperature maps derived from the Herschel data, we find that the radial density profile of the B211 filament approaches power-law behavior, ρ ∝ r−2.0± 0.4, at large radii and that the temperature profile exhibits a marked drop at small radii. The observed density and temperature profiles of the B211 filament are in good agreement with a theoretical model of a cylindrical filament undergoing gravitational contraction with a polytropic equation of state: P ∝ ργ and T ∝ ργ−1, with γ = 0.97 ± 0.01 < 1 (i.e., not strictly isothermal). The morphology of the column density map, where some of the perpendicular striations are apparently connected to the B211 filament, further suggests that the material may be accreting along the striations onto the main filament. The typical velocities expected for the infalling material in this picture are ~0.5–1 km s-1, which are consistent with the existing kinematical constraints from previous CO observations.

Solar radiative transfer in cirrus clouds. I - Single-scattering and optical properties of hexagonal ice crystals. II - Theory and computations of multiple scattering in an anisotropic medium

Abstract: The light scattering and absorption programs of Cai and Liou (1982) and Takano and Jaweera (1985) are extended to include hexagonal ice crystals randomly and horizontally oriented in space. The scattering and polarization results for the ice crystals are calculated. The results are compared with measurement data. The single-scattering properties for horizontally oriented columns and plates are presented and used to explain halos and arcs observed in the atmopshere. In the second section, the theory and computations for multiple scattering in cirrus clouds containing oriented ice crystals are presented. The radiative transfer in clouds composed of horizontally oriented ice crystals is formulated. Also, reflected and transmitted intensities, planetary albedo, and polarization in multiple scattering by ice crystals are discussed.

Optical constants of sulfuric Acid; application to the clouds of venus?

Abstract: With the purpose of obtaining the real and imaginary parts of the complex refractive index N; = n + ik, we have made quantitative measurements of spectral transmission and reflection of sulfuric acid solutions in the visible and near infrared. On the basis of the results, we have obtained values for n throughout the entire region and values of k in the near infrared together with upper limits for k in the visible region. These optical constants can be used to interpret the results of polarization studies of solar radiation that has been scattered by the clouds of Venus. We have Kramers-Kronig phase-shift analysis to obtain values of n and k from reflection measurements in the intermediate infrared region (400-4000 cm(-1)). Our measurements were made at 300 K on sulfuric acid solutions having concentrations by weight of 95.6, 84.5, 75, 50, 38, and 25%. If the particles in the Venus clouds consist of liquid droplets of sulfuric acid at a temperature of 250 K, comparison of existing Venus data with our data suggests that the acid concentration is probably higher than 70%. Various possibilities are discussed.

Statistical theory of polarization dispersion in single mode fibers

Abstract: An analytical characterization of polarization dispersion measurements is presented. The authors report the solution of Poole's stochastic dynamical equation for the evolution of the polarization dispersion vector with fiber length. The authors extend this to a more complete description by considering small, second-order dispersion effects through the frequency derivative of the dispersion vector. The complete analytical solution is seen to accord with what were originally empirically derived features of the joint probability distribution of the polarization dispersion vector and its frequency derivatives. Among the analytically determined properties are the Gaussian probability densities of the three components of the dispersion vector, and the hyperbolic secant (soliton shaped) probability densities of the components of the derivative of the dispersion vector. >