Polarized light

Where there is light, there is polarized light. It is in fact difficult to find a source of light that is completely randomly polarized. As soon as light interacts with anything, whether through reflection, transmission, or scattering, there is opportunity for polarization to be induced. As pointed out in the first sentence of the Preface to the First Edition, polarization is a fundamental characteristic of the transverse wave that is light. More than ever, it is a characteristic that must be addressed in modern optical systems and applications.