title: Stokes parameters and polarization contrasts in Young's interference experiment.
abstract: We derive a spectral interference law that governs the behavior of the four Stokes parameters in Young's two-pinhole experiment with a random electromagnetic beam. In addition to the visibility of intensity fringes, we introduce three new contrast parameters that describe the interference-induced changes in the field's state of partial polarization. The polarization modulation depends on the electric field correlations at the pinholes and is closely related to the two-point Stokes parameters. The results are expected to be particularly useful in polarization interferometry and electromagnetic coherence theory. The formalism is demonstrated with specific examples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics and Mathematics, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Tero.Setala@tkk.fi
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Setälä
authors.forename: Jani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tervo
authors.forename: Ari T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Friberg