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Updated: Jun 9, 2026

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
Geometric interpretation of the Pancharatnam connection and non-cyclic polarization changes
Thomas van Dijk1, Hugo F Schouten, Taco D Visser
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Laser Centre, VU University, De Boelelaan 1081,1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
If the state of polarization of a monochromatic light beam is changed in a cyclical manner, the beam acquires-in addition to the usual dynamic phase-a geometric phase. This geometric or Pancharatnam-Berry phase equals half the solid angle of the contour traced out on the Poincaré sphere. We show that such a geometric interpretation also exists for the Pancharatnam connection, the criterion according to which two beams with different polarization states are said to be in phase. This interpretation offers what is to our knowledge a new and intuitive method to calculate the geometric phase that accompanies non-cyclic polarization changes.
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