Polarization rotation, reference frames and Mach's principle

Abstract

Polarization of light rotates in a gravitational field. The accrued phase is operationally meaningful only with respect to a local polarization basis. In stationary space-times, we construct local reference frames that allow us to isolate the Machian gravimagnetic effect from the geodetic (mass) contribution to the rotation. The Machian effect is supplemented by the geometric term that arises from the choice of standard polarizations. The phase accrued along a close trajectory is gauge-independent and is zero in the Schwarzschild space-time. The geometric term may give a dominant contribution to the phase. We calculate polarization rotation for several trajectories and find it to be more significant than is usually believed, pointing to its possible role as a future gravity probe.

4 pages. Final version

References in corpus (3)

• Twisting of light around rotating black holes
• Resource Letter PTG-1: Precision Tests of Gravity
• The rotation of polarization by gravitational waves

Cited by in corpus (18)

• Fundamental quantum optics experiments conceivable with satellites -- reaching relativistic distances and velocities
• The Deep Space Quantum Link: Prospective Fundamental Physics Experiments using Long-Baseline Quantum Optics
• Gravitational Faraday effect from on-shell amplitudes
• Localized qubits in curved spacetimes
• Post-Newtonian gravitational effects in quantum interferometry
• WKB analysis of relativistic Stern-Gerlach measurements
• Quantum corrections to frame-dragging in scattering amplitudes
• Large-scale optical interferometry in general spacetimes
• Quantum Emulation of Gravitational Waves
• Schwarzschild Lensing From Geodesic Deviation
• Rotation of polarization in the gravitational field of a laser beam - Faraday effect and optical activity
• Gravity-induced birefringence in spherically symmetric spacetimes
• Polarization rotation and near-Earth quantum communications
• Relativistic quantum information theory and quantum reference frames
• Observables for the Effect of Gravity on Electromagnetic Polarization
• Light rays in the Solar system experiments: phases and displacements
• Achromatic, spin-odd Kerr EVPA as a null Frenet-Serret torsion integral on the photon ring
• Sensing Gravity with Polarized Electromagnetic Radiation