Abstract

We analyze Young’s interference experiment for the case that two correlated, linearly polarized beams are used. It is shown that even if the incident fields are partially coherent, there are always correlation singularities (pairs of points where the fields are completeley uncorrelated) on the observation screen. These correlation singularities can evolve in a non-trivial manner into phase singularities (points of zero intensity). These can in turn unfold into a triplet of polarization singularities, namely an L-line and two C-lines of opposite handedness. Also, when the directions of polarization of the incident beams are mutually orthogonal–and hence no intensity fringes are formed-the state of polarization is found to vary with position and to exhibit singularities.

© 2007 Optical Society of America