Polarimetric characterization of light and media

Abstract

An analysis of the matrix models representing the polarimetric properties of light and material media is carried out by using the concept of the coherency matrix, which leads to the identification and definition of their corresponding physical quantities. For light, cases of homogeneous and inhomogeneous wavefront are analyzed, and a model for 3D polarimetric purity is formulated. For linear passive material media, a general model is developed on the basis that any physically realizable linear transformation of Stokes vectors is equivalent to an ensemble average of passive, deterministic, nondepolarizing transformations. Through this framework, the relevant physical quantities, including the indices of polarimetric purity, are identified and decoupled. Some decompositions of the whole system into a set of well-defined components are considered, as well as techniques for isolating the unknown components by means of new procedures for subtracting coherency matrices. These results and methods constitute a powerful tool for analyzing and exploiting experimental and industrial polarimetry. Some particular application examples are indicated.

arXiv commentReview paper originally published in Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 40, 1-47 (2007). Revised and commented by the author. February, 2020. 84 pages, 12 figures

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• Optimal Frames for Polarisation State Reconstruction
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• Interpretation of the coherency matrix for three-dimensional polarization states
• Nonlinear Stokes Mueller Polarimetry
• Structure of polarimetric purity of a Mueller matrix and sources of depolarization
• Majorization and Measures of Classical Polarization in Three Dimensions
• A complete framework for linear filtering of bivariate signals
• SU(2)-invariant depolarization of quantum states of light
• Formalism of optical coherency in material media with a quantum mechanical treatment
• Characterization of passivity in Mueller matrices
• Arbitrary decomposition of a Mueller matrix
• Three-Photon Stokes Mueller Polarimetry
• Information structure and general characterization of Mueller matrices
• Singular Mueller matrices
• Classical distinguishability as an operational measure of polarization
• Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Stokes - Mueller Polarimetry
• Quantum Polarimetry
• Parametrization of 3x3 unitary matrices based on polarization algebra
• Two-vector representation of a nondepolarizing Mueller matrix
• Practical schemes for the measurement of angular-momentum covariance matrices in quantum optics
• Reduced form of a Mueller matrix
• Coherency vector formalism for polarimetric transformations
• Polarization monotones of two-dimensional and three-dimensional random electromagnetic fields
• Retarding parallel components of a Mueller matrix
• Invariant quantities of a nondepolarizing Mueller matrix
• Fast and Automated Optical Polarization Compensation of Fiber Unitaries
• Spectral decomposition of the Mueller matrix: A geometrical model
• Degrees of mutual coherence of a 3D polarization state
• Jones Matrix Characterization of Optical Elements via Evolutionary Algorithms
• Geometric approach of degree of polarization in 3D polarimetry
• Non-quantum entanglement and a complete characterization of pre-Mueller and Mueller matrices in polarization optics