The number of least degrees of freedom required for a polarization controller to transform any state of Polarization to any other output any other output covering the entire Poincaré sphere

• 来源期刊: 中国物理B（英文版）
• 关键词: polarization controller degree of freedom state of polarization
• 年，卷（期）: 2008,（7）
• 页码范围: 2509-2513
• 页数: 5页
• 语种: 英文

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 Poincare 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.