Partial Polarization and Coherence in Arbitrary Electromagnetic Fields

Abstract

While the theories of optical coherence for scalar fields and partial polarization for beam-like waves are well developed and unambiguous, this is not so for partial coherence in random electromagnetic waves and partial polarization in fields that contain all three electric-field components. Examples of such three-dimensional vector waves are optical near fields with evanescent components and high-numerical-aperture focused electromagnetic fields. Interesting new results on arbitrary electromagnetic coherence and polarization have been obtained, for instance, in Young's two-pinhole interference setup. In this paper some recent unusual and physically unexpected results on randomly fluctuating electromagnetic fields are discussed and the current development on the basic concepts of partial polarization and partial electromagnetic coherence is reviewed.