1 Physics 316 Cornell University Solution for homework 8 Spring 2005

2 In the last case, we need to know what is the direction of polarization. To do so, we only need to replace the R/L analyser with a linear polarizer, say, in the x direction. We already know that the output intensity is I 0 cos2 . From this measurement, we can therefore nd , the angle of polarization with the x-axis. The possibilties || or || can be distinguished by rotating the polarizer by || and observing if now all the intensity is transmitted. therefore the maximum number of measurments that can be required is three.
IV. EXERCISE 4 A.

I.

EXERCISE 1

As discussed in class, you send a vertically polarized beam through a tilted x /y analyzer, where the tilted y axis makes an angle of to the vertical. If you send one beam through an ideal horizontal polarizer afterwords you get a probability P1 for transmission. If you now place the horizontal polarizer behind the other beam that comes out of the x /y analyzer, the probability for transmission is P2 . Show that P1 = P2 for all .

1i 2

i 1 | >= |x > 1 . 2 + |y > 2 Lets see if the following states are pure linear or circular polarization states.

Consider the photon state | >= |R > + |L > Is this a pure state of circular or linear polarization? If it 1 is linear, nd the axis of polarization. Answer the same question for the states | >= (|x > ei 2 + |y > ei 2 ) and 2

1+i 2 .

P1

| =

1i 2

This is not a pure circularly polarized state (it cannot be written as A |R or A |L ). To nd if this is a linearly polarized state, lets reexpress | in the |x , |y basis, 1 |R = (|x + i |y ), 2 We get | =
1 2

|R +

1+i 2

|L .

P2

1 |L = (|x i |y ). 2

(4.1)

|x

1 2

|y .

The transmission amplitude in a x /y analyser for the output states |x and |y is x |y = sin and y |y = cos respectively. If a horizontal polarizer is placed at the output of the x /y analyser, the transmission probability is now P1 = | x|x x |y |2 and P2 = | x|y y |y |2 for the two possible outputs of the analyzer. Since x|y = sin and x|x = cos , we get nally that P1 = P2 = sin2 cos2 .
II. EXERCISE 2

This is a linearly polarized state, making an angle /4 with the horizontal. Note that a pure linearly polarized state can be a combination of horizontal and vertical polarization. We can always rotate our coordinate system to align one of the new axes with the direction of polarization. | =
1 (ei 2 2

|x + ei 2 |y ).

Here, the phase of the |x and |y components are dierent, which could lead us to think that this is not a linearly polarized state. However, note that | can be written as ei 2 ei 2 | = (|x + ei |y ) = (|x |y ). 2 2

(4.2)

How can a right circular polarized light beam be changed to a left circular light be with as little loss of intensity as possible ? A right-circularly polarized light beam can be expressed as the sum of a linearly polarized light beam in x direction and a linearly polarized light beam in y direction, the later with a phase shift of /2. A left circularly polarized beam can be expressed the same way, but with a phase shift of /2. To convert one into another, it suces to give a phase shift of to the y component. Thus, we only need to let the light beam go trough two /4-plates.
III. EXERCISE 3

This state is actually a linearly polarized state (again, making an angle /4 with respect to the x-axis). | =
1i 2

|x +

1 2

|y .

Obviously, this is not a linearly polarized state since one of the component is complex and the other is real (this means that there is a phase dierence not equal to 0 or between the two components). Similarly, we can show that this is not pure circularly polarized state either. This is most clearly shown when we write the complex i 1 i e 4 . Since there is a phase dierence of /4 between amplitude in terms of a complex exponential: 1 2 = 2 the two components, the state is not in a pure circularly polarized state.
B.
4i A photon polarization is described by the state vector | >= |x > 3 5 + |y > 5 . What fraction of the photons in such a beam will pass, on the average, through a y polarizer? What fraction will pass after the axis of this polarizer is rotated toward the x axis by an angle ? 4i The state of a photon is given by | = 3 5 |x + 5 |y . The fraction of photons passing through a y polarizer is

Given a photon beam in polarization state which is a pure but unknown state of liner or circular polarization. It is not known whether it is right or left handed nor is the direction of linear polarization known. Specify a method by which you can determine the polarization state. What is the maximum number of measurements that will be needed to determine the state ? We know that the state | is either equal to A |L , A |R or A |x + B |y , where A and B are real coecients. Letting the beam go through an R/L analyser solves the circularly polarized cases. Three dierent results are possible: If all the intensity is measured at the R channels output, then | |R ; Similiarly, if all the intensity is measured at the L channels output, then | |L ; If half of the intensity is measured in the R and the L channel, than | is a linearly polarized wave.

3 equal to the probablity for one such photon to go through: P = | y | | = = =

2 2

4 We want to complete the set of basis vectors, with one of these vectors given by | = for another vector, | = a |x + b |y wich has the two following properties: Orthogonality : | = 0; Normalized: | = 1; The last condition is necessary in order to have probabilities which sum up to exactly one. Recalling that | = a x| + b y |, we get the conditions: i 1 0 = a + b 2 2 1 = aa + bb . We note that these two conditions imply only three constraints. Since we have four unknowns (a and b are complex), there will remain one degree of freedom. Lets x immediatelly this degree of freedom by seting a real. We set b = b1 + ib2 . The rst condition yields a = b2 and b1 = 0. Then, substituting into the second condition, we nally nd that i 1 | = |x + |y 2 2 (5.1)
i 2

|x +

1 2

|y . We search

4i 3 y | ( |x + |y ) 5 5

3 4i y |x + y |y 5 5
2

4i 5 16 . = 25 In this exercise, we carried the calculation step-by-step to show the reasoning. The polarizer is now rotated of an angle from its vertical (y ) position toward the x axis, i.e. the system is rotated of an angle . The polarizer is now selecting the component |y of the wave, with |y = sin |x + cos |y . Thus, P = | y | |
2

4i 3 sin + cos = 5 5 9 16 = sin2 + cos2 25 25 2 9 + 7 cos = . 25

C.

is a good basis vector. Note that the other degree of freedom only means that any state of the form | e i is also a basis vector.

A photon in the state |R > has an angular momentum of h parallel to its direction of ight. The magnitude of the angular momentum in the |L > state is the same, but it is anti parallel to the direction of motion. If the beam 3 i described by the particular polarization state | >= |x > 5 + |y > 4 5 is totally absorbed by a surface, what angular momentum is added to the surface per second, on the average? 4i We want to nd the angular momentum added to the surface absorbing photons in the state | = 3 5 |x + 5 |y . Reexpressing this in terms of |R and |L , we get 1 | = (7 |L |R ). 5 2 (4.3)

Recall the meaning of the coecients of the kets: their squared modulus is the probability that a photon is measured 1 2 1 | = 50 of being measured in the state |R at the as being in this state. Hence, the photon has a probability | 5 2 7 2 surface, and a probability | 5 | = 49 50 of being measured in the state |L at the surface. This means that, on average, 2 98% of the photons will transfer an angular momentum of h and 2%, an angular momentum of h . Overall, the 1 24 h h 49 angular momentum added to the surface per second is ( h 50 50 )n = 25 n, where n is the number of photon striking the surface per second. Note: you will see later that there is a neat mathematical way to work out such calculations, using operators. Here, the operator angular momentum, that we might call A, acts on the states in the following way: A |R = h |R A |L = h |L . Then, searching for the expected angular momentum that the surface will acquire is as simple as calculating the expectation value: | A | .
V. EXERCISE 5

i 1 Given the photon state | >= |x > + |y > . If this is one of the state in a complete and orthogonal set of 2 2 states, specify the other state of this set. To be more general: When | >= |x > a + |y > b is a member of a complete and orthogonal set of states, specify this set.