Although the function of polarization vision, the ability to discern the polarization characteristics of light, is well established in many terrestrial and benthic species, its purpose in pelagic species (squid and certain fish and crustaceans) is poorly understood [1]. A long-held hypothesis is that polarization vision in open water is used to break the mirror camouflage of silvery fish, as bi...

We describe a polarization-selective beam splitter by a sandwiched grating, which can fulfill the high efficiency element for TE polarization and the two-port output for TM polarization. The modal method and the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) are employed together to optimize the polarization-selective beam splitter. According to the modal method, the grating duty cycle and period are di...

The study of polarization dispersion in standard single-mode fibres takes on a growing importance, because the delay between polarization modes causes pulse broadening and may become predominant in multigigabit long-span optical links. The combined effects of weak birefringence and fluctuating mode coupling result in a stochastic behaviour of the polarization dispersion and of the output polari...

We present the first polarization measurements of the radio emission from RRAT J1819−1458. Our observations, conducted in parallel to regular timing sessions, have yielded a small number of bright and polarized pulses. The polarization characteristics and integrated profile resemble those of normal pulsars with average spin-down energy Ė: moderate to low linear polarization in the integrated pr...

We show that, under the right conditions, one can make highly accurate polarization-based measurements without knowing the absolute polarization state of the probing light field. It is shown that light, passed through a randomly varying birefringent material has a well-defined orbit on the Poincar sphere, which we term a generalized polarization state, that is preserved. Changes to the generali...

Many animals can see polarization of light (a property to which humans are visually insensitive) and use polarization for a variety of behavioral tasks such as navigation and foraging. The polarized light environment is spatially and temporally complex, presenting a unique challenge for signaling or crypsis in animals with polarization vision. Some invertebrates have polarization body patternin...

We present multi-frequency, high resolution VLBA circular polarization images of the radio source 3C 84 in the center of NGC 1275. Our images reveal a complex distribution of circular polarization in the inner parsec of the radio jet, with local levels exceeding 3% polarization, the highest yet detected with VLBI techniques. The circular polarization changes sign along the jet, making 3C 84 als...

The grass shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris) orients itself by means of the polarization pattern of the sky visible through Snell's window of the water surface. The celestial polarization pattern viewed from water is distorted and modified because of refraction and repolarization of skylight at the air-water interface. This work provides a quantitative account of the repolarization of skylight tran...

There has been much discussion in the literature about rival measures of classical polarization in three dimensions. We gather and compare the various proposed measures of polarization, creating a geometric representation of the polarization state space in the process. We use majorization, previously used in quantum information, as a criterion to establish a partial ordering on the polarization...

Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) was used to obtain spatially resolved ex vivo images of polarization changes in skeletal muscle, bone, skin and brain. Through coherent detection of two orthogonal polarization states of the signal formed by interference of light reflected from the biological sample and a mirror in the reference arm of a Michelson interferometer, the ...