Course Description: Polarized light and the Poincare sphere. Polarization in natural scenes and animal vision. Polarization elements: polarizers, retarders, and depolarizers. Jones and Mueller polarization calculus. Polarimetry: measuring the polarization properties of optical elements and materials. Polarization modulators and controllers. Polarization dependent loss and polarization mode dispersion in fiber optics. Advanced polarization issues in optical devices and systems.

Course Outline by Topical Areas:

Polarized Light in Nature.

Polarized light. Unpolarized light. Partially polarized light. Polarization of the sky. Polarization in the human eye and animal eyes. Black body polarization.

Natural and manmade polarization signatures.

Electromagnetic Description of Polarized Light.

Jones vectors. Stokes vectors. Poincare sphere. Coherence. Interference of polarized light.

Polarization Elements and Polarization Calculus.

Polarizers. Retarders. Jones calculus. Mueller calculus. Diattenuation. Polarization dependent loss. Retardance. Birefringence. Dichroism. Optical activity. Polarization mode dispersion. Depolarization. Achromatic. Field of view effects.

Polarimetry.

Light measuring. Sample measuring. Spectropolarimetry. Imaging polarimetry. Ellipsometry. Fresnel equations.

Polarization Modulators.

Electro-optic. Magneto-optic. Liquid crystal. Photo elastic. Endless polarization control.

Special Topics.

Polarization ray tracing and polarization aberrations. Imaging polarimetry. Polarization in fiber optic systems. Polarization mode dispersion. Structure of Mueller calculus.

Course Requirements:

Homework: Weekly homework assignments will be handed out each week and due one week later.

Examinations: Proctored-timed midterm and final exam

Computer Language(s): Mathematica (highly recommended, students familiar with Matlab will find it suitable preparation for using Mathematica)

Laboratory: No

Project: A project report is assigned

Notes:

The University of Arizona will charge a $400 handling and delivery charge for course CD's within the U.S. Shipment outside the U.S. will be quoted individually.

Degree Applicability:

CE[AA]	CH[NA]	CS[AA]	EE[BDE]	EM[E]	ESM[NA]	MAT[E]
MBA[NA]	ME[E]	MES[BE]	MSE[E]	SE[NA]	SY[AA]

Click here for further information on degree applicability.

NTU Semester Credit Hours: 3
Number of Lecture Hours: 30 (75 minute) lectures
Days Class Meets on Campus: Tuesday/Thursday

Contributing Scholar:
Russell A. Chipman
Optical Sciences Center
The University of Arizona
160 East University Boulevard, Meinel Buiilding
Tucson, AZ   85721
Phone: 520-626-9435

Fax: 520-626-4599
russell.chipman@optics.arizona.edu

Note: Contributing Scholars are responsible for the design, organization, content, and presentation of NTU courses. Online classroom management, student management, and other matters related to academic administration of courses are the responsibility of support "Faculty". Either person is often called "Instructor". To identify and differentiate between these roles, we use the terms "Contributing Scholar" and "Faculty".

Academic/Administrative Contact:  
Ms. Pam Shack
Phone: 520-626-4573
Fax: 520-626-1102
pshack@email.arizona.edu


Prerequisites: Electromagnetic Waves and Optical Design and Instrumentation I.

Textbooks: (Order Materials)

1.	Polarized Light, D. Goldstein, Marcel Dekker, 2003
2.	Instructor's notes will be send out to registered students - approximately $30. Additional notes to be handed out in class and posted on the Internet. Recommended textbooks (not required): Fundamentals of Polarized Light, C. Brosseau, Wiley, 1998.