Abstract

In high precision optical ellipsometry and polarimetry the procedure of measurement of the matter (i.e. atomic and/or molecular) characteristics is limited by quantum properties of optical fields. In general case they are the polarization Stokes parameters that are the observable values but can not be simultaneously and exactly measured in quantum optics. To apply nonclassical light in such a measurement the polarization-squeezed light (for which the fluctuations of one (measurable) Stokes parameter is less than the fluctuations for coherent state of light) has a special interest [1], At the same time to observe the ellipsometric parameters of light it is necessary to select an appropriate quantum measurement procedure for the Stokes parameters.

© 1998 IEEE