Polarization Scrambling Models Based on Cascaded Extrinsic and Intrinsic Rotation

Polarization scrambling models (PSM) are useful in various areas of optics research. The conventional rotatable waveplate-based PSM is easy to implement physically yet exhibits limitations in model characterization. This paper develops two novel PSMs based on cascaded extrinsic and intrinsic elementary rotations of the state of polarization (SOP). The new models exhibit rich features in terms of deterministic polarization scrambling speed and tunable distribution of SOP variation rate. The development of new models also provides us with novel theoretical tools for characterizing various PSMs. We study the new models with detailed mathematical derivations and analyses, verified by extensive numerical simulations. The developed models could be useful for theoretical study and building simulation platforms for polarization testing.