Representation of light polarization

[jmcoreymv]

Lets say I have a coherent laser source that outputs monochromatic light that is polarized vertically. This light is then run though a splitter and one branch of the splitter has a polarization controller that polarizes the light horizontally. The other branch is just a fiber. The two branches are then recombined. Is the light at the output represented as a single electromagnetic wave with a 45 degree polarization or would it be represented as two separate signals, one with a vertical and one with a horizontal polarization? (or are these essentially the same?)

(Assuming all fibers and couplers in the system are polarization preserving).

 

[Heisenberg]

You can represent a 45 degree polarization as a linear combination of horizontal and vertical polarizations. Either interpretation is valid.

 

[jmcoreymv]

Any advice on the best way to represent a purely polarized wave traveling through an optics system in matlab. Im using a matrix that contains the Jones vectors, and in another column contains time delays associated with propagation through components, and another column that contains the frequency of the wave. I doubt this is best method because its represented in the frequency domain and I can see I will have problems with introducing simulated noise into the system.