Polarization singularities in isotropic random vector waves

Citation
Mv. Berry et Mr. Dennis, Polarization singularities in isotropic random vector waves, P ROY SOC A, 457(2005), 2001, pp. 141-155
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
ISSN journal
13645021 → ACNP
Volume
457
Issue
2005
Year of publication
2001
Pages
141 - 155
Database
ISI
SICI code
1364-5021(20010108)457:2005<141:PSIIRV>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
Following Nye & Hajnal, we explore the geometry of complex vector waves by regarding them as a field of polarization ellipses. Singularities of this f ield are the C lines and L lines, where the polarization is purely circular and purely linear, respectively. The singularities can be reinterpreted as loci of photon spin 1 (C lines) and 0 (L lines). For Gaussian random super positions of plane waves equidistributed in direction but with an arbitrary frequency spectrum, we calculate the density (length per unit volume) of C and L lines.