Abstract
States of two-level systems (systems with two eigenstates, such as optical propagation of
polarized light or spin 1/2) are conventionally represented by 2 $\times$ 1 complex vectors or real 3 $\times$ 1 geometric vectors. A limitation of geometrical representations is an inability to
represent overall phase, important in optical and quantum interference applications. We
propose an extension of the usual geometrical representation for such systems, representing
the overall phase as an additional, internal, spin of the geometric state vector. We
generalize the earlier representations to include this phase, establish rules for its
representation and calculation, and illustrate our model by analyzing an optical
interferometer.
© 2009 USGov
PDF Article
More Like This
Cited By
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription