Quantum effects on the polarization of light propagating in a Kerr medium

Authors:

• Ryszard Tanaś,
• Ts. Gantsog

Abstract

Quantum theory of propagation of elliptically polarized light in a nonlinear Kerr medium with dissipation is applied to describe changes in the polarization state of the field. Exact analytical formulas describing the degree of polarization and the parameters of the polarization ellipse during the evolution are derived. A number of purely quantum effects that arise during the propagation are discussed. It is shown that the Stokes parameters of light propagating in a Kerr medium can be considered as a good measure of the mean value of the phase-difference cosine or sine, and this relation may be treated as an operational way of measuring such phase quantities. © 1992.