Rotate Photon Polarization: 90 Degrees?

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SUMMARY

Photon polarization can be rotated by 90 degrees or any arbitrary angle using various optical devices. Effective methods include half-wave plates, birefringent media, and Faraday rotators. While individual photons exhibit helicity related to circular polarization, rotating a photon does not alter its polarization state. The discussion emphasizes the distinction between coherent and incoherent light, highlighting that pure polarized light is coherent while randomly polarized light is not.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of photon polarization and helicity
  • Familiarity with optical devices such as half-wave plates and birefringent media
  • Knowledge of coherence in light and its implications
  • Basic concepts of angular momentum in electromagnetic fields
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the functionality and applications of half-wave plates in optical systems
  • Explore birefringent materials and their role in polarization manipulation
  • Study the principles of Faraday rotation and its uses in optics
  • Investigate the characteristics of Bessel beams and their angular momentum properties
USEFUL FOR

Optical physicists, engineers working with photonics, and anyone interested in advanced light manipulation techniques.

Dragonfall
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If I'm given a photon polarized at some unknown angle, can I rotate it by 90 degrees (or by an arbitrary angle)?
 
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Yes, although it may be difficult for a single photon.

There are lots of different ways of altering the polarization of a beam of light, generally. You could use a half-wave plate, or a birefringent medium, or a Faraday rotator, for example.
 
Individual photons have "helicity", which translates into circular polarization. So 'rotating' the photon will not change the polarization state.

Going over to the macroscopic description of polarization, with arbitrary polarization states, means that the light is now composed of a population of partially (mutually) coherent photons. Pure polarized light is completely coherent, randomly polarized light is incoherent. Descriptions of polarizers and retarders using photons is statistical in nature.

The polarization of light corresponds to spin, certain specially-prepared fields (Bessel beams, etc) of radiation possesses a property corresponding to angular momentum.
 

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