You have requested a machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Neither SPIE nor the owners and publishers of the content make, and they explicitly disclaim, any express or implied representations or warranties of any kind, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to the functionality of the translation feature or the accuracy or completeness of the translations.
Translations are not retained in our system. Your use of this feature and the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in the Terms and Conditions of Use of the SPIE website.
15 December 1995Mueller matrix analysis of light depolarization
In this paper an attempt is made to investigate how incident light propagating through a linear non-image-forming optical device, or scattered by a linear medium is depolarized using the Mueller matrix formalism. There are multiple definitions of depolarization in the literature which led to a difficulty, i.e. a non-depolarizing optical medium may decrease the degree of polarization of an incident completely polarized light. Because of this confusion, our usage is clarified. By considering incident light in the form of pure states of polarization, we are able to show that a particular Mueller matrix decomposition is advantageous for analysis of the physical mechanisms of depolarization of light propagating through linear media. We illustrate our analysis by examining several physically realizable Mueller matrices reported in the optics literature.
The alert did not successfully save. Please try again later.
Christian Brosseau, "Mueller matrix analysis of light depolarization," Proc. SPIE 2580, Optics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems, (15 December 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.228475