Beating is a simple physical phenomenon known for long in the context of sound waves but remained surprisingly unexplored for light waves. When two monochromatic optical beams of different frequencies and states of polarization interfere, the polarization state of the superposition field exhibits temporal periodic variation-polarization beating. In this work, we reveal a foundational and elegant phase structure underlying such polarization beating. We show that the phase difference over a single beating period decomposes into the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase and a dynamical phase of which the former depends exclusively on the intensities and polarization states of the interfering beams whereas the sum of the phases is determined solely by the beam frequencies. Varying the intensity and polarization characteristics of the beams, the relative contributions of the geometric and dynamical phases can be adjusted. The geometric phase inherent in polarization beating is governed by a compact expression containing only the Stokes parameters of the interfering waves and can alternatively be obtained from the individual beam intensities and the amplitude of the intensity beats. We demonstrate both approaches experimentally by using an interferometer with a fast detector and a specific polarimetric arrangement. Polarization beating has a unique character that the geometric and dynamical phases are entangled, i.e. variation in one unavoidably leads to a change in the other. Our work expands geometric phases into a new domain and offers important novel insight into the role of polarization in interference of electromagnetic waves.
In a recent publication [Opt. Lett.42, 1512 (2017)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.42.001512], a novel class of partially coherent sources with circular coherence was introduced. In this paper, we examine the propagation behavior of the spectral density and the spectral degree of spatial coherence of a beam generated by such a source in free space and in oceanic turbulent media. It is found that the beam exhibits self-focusing, which is dependent on the initial coherence and the parameters of oceanic turbulence. The self-focusing phenomenon disappears when the initial coherence is high enough or the oceanic turbulence is strong. The area of high coherence appears in the center and along two diagonal lines. With increasing turbulence, the coherence area reduces gradually along one diagonal line and is retained along the other one. A physical interpretation of the self-focusing phenomenon is presented, and potential applications in optical underwater communication and beam shaping are considered.
We examine layered metamaterial structures consisting of alternating films of epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) and dielectric material, and show that for such a stack it is possible to enhance the refractive, reflective or absorptive properties of the ENZ. The proposed structure takes advantage of resonances from several interfaces, guided modes, and plasmon excitations to achieve the desired enhancement, and it is not an effective medium. We use analytical modeling tools to show how the different degrees of freedom affect the properties of the stack, and propose experimentally feasible parameters for such structures.
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