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Polarimetry finds application in chemical kinetics to measure the concentration and reaction kinetics of optically active substances during a chemical reaction. Optically active substances have the capability of rotating the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light passing through them—a feature called optical rotation. Optical activity is attributed to the molecular structure of substances. Normal monochromatic light is unpolarized and possesses oscillations of the electrical field in...

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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Published on: February 28, 2016

Photopolarimeter using two modulated optical rotators.

|August 15, 2009

Summary

This study automates a polarimeter using modulated optical rotators. This innovation allows for the precise determination of the four Stokes parameters of incident radiation through Fourier analysis.

Area of Science:

Optical physics
Instrumentation
Polarimetry

Background:

Traditional compensator-analyzer-polarimeters require manual adjustments.
Automating polarimetric measurements enhances precision and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop an automated compensator-analyzer-polarimeter.
To enable the direct measurement of all four Stokes parameters.

Main Methods:

Integration of two modulated optical rotators (e.g., Faraday cells) into a polarimeter setup.
Excitation of rotators with a common AC source for synchronized sinusoidal optical rotations.
Linear detection of the output radiation and subsequent Fourier analysis of the signal.

Main Results:

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Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

Published on: February 28, 2016

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

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Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

The automated system produces constant polarization output.
Limited Fourier analysis of the detected signal successfully yields the four Stokes parameters.
Demonstration of a generalized polarimeter capable of full polarization state determination.

Conclusions:

The proposed automation significantly advances polarimetric instrumentation.
This method provides a robust and efficient way to measure the Stokes parameters.
The generalized polarimeter offers a valuable tool for optical characterization.