Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2289/1022
Title: Thomas rotation and polarized light: A non-abelian geometric phase in optics
Authors: Samuel, J.
Sinha, Supurna
Keywords: Geometric phase
Polarized light
Thomas rotation
Non-abelian phase
Issue Date: May-1997
Publisher: Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, India.
Citation: Pramana, 1997, Vol. 48, p969-975.
Abstract: We describe a non-abelian Berry phase in polarization optics, suggested by an analogy due to Nityananda between boosts in special relativity and the effect of elliptic dichroism on polarized light. The analogy permits a simple optical realization of the non-abelian gauge field describing Thomas rotation. We also show how Thomas rotation can be understood geometrically on the Poincare sphere in terms of the Pancharatnam phase.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2289/1022
ISSN: 0304-4289
Copyright: Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, India.
Appears in Collections:Research Papers (TP)

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