All Questions
16
questions
2
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0
answers
32
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Link between photon helicity and polarization of $A^\mu$ electromagnetic potential
From Wigner theorem we know that the irreducible unitary representation of the Poincarè group for massless and spin 1 particle is labelled by the momentum $p_\mu$ and the two possible helicity $+1,-1$ ...
- 613
2
votes
1
answer
79
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If helicity of photons is +1 then the light is right- or left-circularly polarized?
In particle physics, we say: a particle has +1 helicity (right-handed) if its momentum and spin are parallel, or it has -1 helicity (left-handed) if its momentum and spin are antiparellel.
Now, if we ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
71
views
Exotic types of polarization
I am aware that in the classical approximation of electromagnetic waves, waves can be linearly polarized (so that the B-field oscillates in one dimension as $B=B_0\cos(\omega t)$), circularly ...
- 366
1
vote
4
answers
99
views
What are exactly the various polarisations of the photon and how many are there?
What are exactly the various polarisations of the photon and how many are there?
Are there:
left and right : this makes $2$
linear, circular, elliptic : this makes $3$ (incompatible with the ...
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Can a single photon have circular polarization?
There are on this site a few questions about photons and circular polarization, but none of them give satisfactory answers:
Connection between spin angular momentum of a photon and circular ...
- 29k
0
votes
2
answers
223
views
Can polarization states of a photon be understood in terms of spatial orthogonality/dimensions?
For example, do the terms 'horizontal', 'vertical', 'diagonal' and 'anti-diagonal' polarization have any relevance to the physical, quantum state of a photon, or are they simply descriptive of how one ...
- 1,386
1
vote
1
answer
79
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Perfect Polarization filter
Since no component is 100% perfect, wouldn't there be non selected polarized orientations that make it through a polarizing filter of a selected orientation?
Or to put it another way, how accurate is ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
314
views
The spin of light
The so-called spin is circular polarization of light,that is the electric field rotates in either direction normal to propagation
Is it known or is there any theory about how fast the field rotates? ...
- 691
1
vote
2
answers
458
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Polarization state of a photon
From the book "Quantum Field theory and the Standard Model":
"It is known that light has two states of polarization".
What does this statement mean? What are the two states of polarization and how ...
- 1,124
2
votes
1
answer
217
views
Understanding 'polarised' 'photons'
As I understand quantum mechanics, a particle does not have a particular value for a property until it's been measured. So for instance a photon does not have a polarisation, that is an electric field ...
- 692
0
votes
1
answer
78
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Is one of linear and circular polarization more correct to talk about and why?
It seems equivalent to talk about combining left and right circular polarization vs combining two plane polarizations for a monochromatic light beam. But I don't understand how that converts to ...
- 101
1
vote
1
answer
512
views
Do circularly polarized photons have more energy than linearly polarized photons?
If the energy of a single photon is given by $E=hf$ then a linearly polarized photon has an energy E which is dependent on only its frequency.
But a circularly polarized photon also has this same ...
- 69
5
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Non-polarised light
We know the beam of light oscillates in electric field and magnetic field, both perpendicular to both the wave of propagation and each other. What does, however, a non-polarised beam of light look ...
- 501
25
votes
1
answer
82k
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Why does the intensity of unpolarized light reduce to half after passing it through a polarizer?
When unpolarized light is polarized with two polarizers, the intensity becomes $I=I_0\cos^2(θ)$ (Malus's law). But when unpolarized light is polarized with only one polarizer, the intensity is reduced ...
- 383
3
votes
1
answer
250
views
Polarisation of light is a wave concept or applicable to photons as well?
I have a very fundamental question. We explain polarisation of light assuming wave nature of light. Is it still valid if we assume light as photons? Or in other words, polarisation is a wave concept ...
- 1,593