- #1
planet-75
- 10
- 1
This text
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon_polarization
starts with:
"Photon polarization is the quantum mechanical description of the classical polarized sinusoidal plane electromagnetic wave. An individual photon can be described as having right or left circular polarization, or a superposition of the two. Equivalently, a photon can be described as having horizontal or vertical linear polarization, or a superposition of the two."
After this it becomes very mathematical. So I can't grasp it anymore. I would like to understand this topic anyway.
(I am interested in single photons here and the consideration of them as entities. I am not considering em waves as a bunch or result of many photons.)
Questions:
1. Can a photon also have an elliptical polarization?
2. Re. the mentioned superposition: Is it just another description for a linear polarization (1st case/ superposition of two circular polarized photons) or a circular polarization (2nd case/ superposition of two linear polarized photons), or do both superposition considerations describe a general case like a circular (c), linear (l) or elliptical (e) polarized photon?
3. Is it (in specific situations) possible to change a photon polarization state (c/l/e)?
4. In which cases/ situations (production processes/ wavelength etc.) do photons have which category of polarization (c/l/e)?
Example: Light from the sun: Is the polarization of the single photons normally a linear one?
Other cases: broadcast waves, gamma ray etc.
Is there somewhere a list or overview about this which includes different cases?
I would be thankful for any sort of answer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon_polarization
starts with:
"Photon polarization is the quantum mechanical description of the classical polarized sinusoidal plane electromagnetic wave. An individual photon can be described as having right or left circular polarization, or a superposition of the two. Equivalently, a photon can be described as having horizontal or vertical linear polarization, or a superposition of the two."
After this it becomes very mathematical. So I can't grasp it anymore. I would like to understand this topic anyway.
(I am interested in single photons here and the consideration of them as entities. I am not considering em waves as a bunch or result of many photons.)
Questions:
1. Can a photon also have an elliptical polarization?
2. Re. the mentioned superposition: Is it just another description for a linear polarization (1st case/ superposition of two circular polarized photons) or a circular polarization (2nd case/ superposition of two linear polarized photons), or do both superposition considerations describe a general case like a circular (c), linear (l) or elliptical (e) polarized photon?
3. Is it (in specific situations) possible to change a photon polarization state (c/l/e)?
4. In which cases/ situations (production processes/ wavelength etc.) do photons have which category of polarization (c/l/e)?
Example: Light from the sun: Is the polarization of the single photons normally a linear one?
Other cases: broadcast waves, gamma ray etc.
Is there somewhere a list or overview about this which includes different cases?
I would be thankful for any sort of answer.