Polarized Light and the Mueller Matrix Approach

An Up-to-Date Compendium on the Physics and Mathematics of Polarization Phenomena

Now thoroughly revised, Polarized Light and the Mueller Matrix Approach cohesively integrates basic concepts of polarization phenomena from the dual viewpoints of the states of polarization of electromagnetic waves and the transformations of these states by the action of material media. Through selected examples, it also illustrates actual and potential applications in materials science, biology, and optics technology.

The book begins with the basic concepts related to two- and three-dimensional polarization states. It next describes the nondepolarizing linear transformations of the states of polarization through the Jones and Mueller-Jones approaches. The authors then discuss the forms and properties of the Jones and Mueller matrices associated with different types of nondepolarizing media, address the foundations of the Mueller matrix, and delve more deeply into the analysis of the physical parameters associated with Mueller matrices.

The authors proceed with introducing the arbitrary decomposition and other useful parallel decompositions, and compare the powerful serial decompositions of depolarizing Mueller matrices. They also analyze the general formalism and specific algebraic quantities and notions related to the concept of differential Mueller matrix. Useful approaches that provide a geometric point of view on the polarization effects exhibited by different types of media are also comprehensively described. The book concludes with a new chapter devoted to the main procedures for filtering measured Mueller matrices.

Suitable for advanced graduates and more seasoned professionals, this book covers the main aspects of polarized radiation and polarization effects of material media. It expertly combines physical and mathematical concepts with important approaches for representing media through equivalent systems composed of simple components.

José Jorge Gil was born in Zaragoza, Spain, in 1956. He received received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Zaragoza in 1983. During the period as research student he developed an original dual rotating absolute Mueller polarimeter and introduced some new concepts, such as the the depolarization index. He has been a professor at the University of Zaragoza from 1983, where he has led a large number of R&D projects in Physics as well as in e-Learning technologies and methodologies. He was also the general manager of the R&D Department of the Spanish company BGL (1991-1996), where he led the development of new wireless systems for interactive meetings, which deserved the Tecnova award from the Spanish Industry Ministry in 1993. He is author of a large number of scientific articles and some patents. He was the recipient of the G. G. Stokes Award 2013 from the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) in recognition of his collection of rigorous mathematical descriptions of polarization that are used widely to interpret experimental data.

Razvigor Ossikovski was born in Rousse, Bulgaria, in 1967. He received his engineer’s degree from the Technical University of Rousse, Bulgaria, in 1991. He was an international student (X88 PEI) at Ecole Polytechnique, France wherefrom he received his MSc (1992) and PhD (1995) degrees in Physics. He held R&D engineeer positions at companies HORIBA Jobin Yvon, Corning and HighWave Optical before taking his current academic position as assistant professor (2003) and, after his habilitation, as full professor (2010) at Ecole Polytechnique. His current research interests are the theory of polarimetry (Mueller matrix algebra) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. He is the leader of the fundamental polarimetry activities of the Laboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films, Ecole Polytechnique. He is the author or coauthor of more than 200 journal papers, two books, four book chapters and five patents.