Abstract

For light fields propagating through rotationally symmetric first-order optical systems, the possibility of improvement of the beam-propagation factor is shown to arise when the vectorial behavior is taken into account. For partially polarized beams, we find the optimized value of the beam-quality parameter that can be attained by using this kind of system. This value is given in terms of the beam qualities associated with the transverse polarization components of the vector field. On the basis of the so-called intensity-moment formalism, the general conditions that should be fulfilled at some plane to reach such an optimized value are determined. A procedure to experimentally get the optimization conditions is also proposed.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

Quality improvement of partially polarized beams

Jesús M. Movilla, Rosario Martínez-Herrero, and Pedro M. Mejías
Appl. Opt. 40(33) 6098-6101 (2001)

Beam quality of partially polarized beams propagating through lenslike birefringent elements

G. Piquero, J. M. Movilla, P. M. Mejı́as, and R. Martı́nez-Herrero
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 16(11) 2666-2668 (1999)

Anisotropic pure-phase plates for quality improvement of partially coherent, partially polarized beams

Rosario Martı́nez-Herrero, Pedro M. Mejı́as, and Gemma Piquero
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20(3) 577-581 (2003)

Beam propagation through uniaxial anisotropic media: global changes in the spatial profile

R. Martı́nez-Herrero, J. M. Movilla, and P. M. Mejı́as
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 18(8) 2009-2014 (2001)

Spatial characterization of general partially polarized beams

R. Martínez-Herrero, P. M. Mejías, and J. M. Movilla
Opt. Lett. 22(4) 206-208 (1997)