P-polarized light, or transverse magnetic (TM) mode, refers to the polarization component that is parallel to the plane of incidence. This means that when the light is incident upon a surface, the electric field of p-polarized light lies entirely in the plane of incidence, oscillating in a direction parallel to this plane. This orientation contrasts with s-polarization where the electric field is perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

Circularlypolarized light

The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.

Linearlypolarized light

The understanding of s and p polarization is crucial in many optical applications such as designing polarizers, optical coatings, and laser systems. These polarization states can affect the reflectivity, refractive behavior, and transmission through different materials and are often taken into account when designing optics for specific applications.

This study assessed the effect of two perceptually matched mental tasks with different levels of mental demand on ocular aberrations in a group of young adults. We measured ocular aberration with a wavefront sensor, and total, internal and corneal RMS (root mean square) aberrations were calculated from Zernike coefficients, considering natural and scaled pupils (5, 4.5, and 4 mm). We found that total, internal and corneal astigmatism RMS showed significant differences between mental tasks with natural pupils (p < .05), and this effect was maintained with 5 mm scaled pupils (total RMS astigmatism, p < .05). Consistently, pupil size, intraocular pressure, perceived mental load and cognitive performance were influenced by the level of mental complexity (p < .05 for all). The findings suggest that ocular astigmatism aberration, mediated by intraocular pressure, could be an objective, valid reliable index to evaluate the impact of cognitive processing in conjunction with others physiological markers in real world contexts. Practitioner Summary: The search continues for a valid, reliable, convenient method of measuring mental workload. In this study we found ocular astigmatism aberration is sensitive to the cumulative effect of mental effort. It shows promise of being a novel ocular index which may help to assess mental workload in real situations.

Keywords: Ocular physiology; astigmatism aberration; mental workload; optical quality; pupil size.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

P polarized lightmeaning

S-polarized light, also known as transverse electric (TE) mode, refers to the polarization component of an electromagnetic wave that is perpendicular to the plane defined by the direction of propagation and the normal to the reflecting surface (the plane of incidence). When light hits a surface and is s-polarized, the electric field oscillates in a direction perpendicular to the plane of incidence, and no component of this field lies in that plane.

Polarization is a property of waves that can oscillate with more than one orientation. Electromagnetic waves, such as light, exhibit this property. In the context of polarization, 'S' stands for 'senkrecht' meaning perpendicular, and 'P' for 'parallel', indicating their respective orientations with respect to the plane of incidence when light is reflected or transmitted at a boundary.

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.