Operational approach to quantum limits on polarization measurement

Abstract

We discuss the polarization measurement of a fully polarized coherent field in the weak intensity quantum limit within the framework of operational approach which was recently discussed by Noh, Fougéres and Mandel. We mainly focus on the fluctuations in the measurement of the parameters of polarization and on the uncertainty relations between them. A dependence of these parameters and their quantum fluctuations on the parameters of the initial coherent field is found. © 1994.