Linear polarimetric transformations of light polarization states by the action of material media are fully characterized by corresponding Mueller matrices, which contain, in an implicit and intricate manner, all measurable information on such transformations. The general characterization of Mueller matrices relies on the positive semi-definiteness of the associated coherency matrix, which can be mathematically formulated through the nonnegativity of its eigenvalues. The enormously involved explicit algebraic form of such formulation prevents its interpretation in terms of simple physical conditions. In this work, a general and simple characterization of Mueller matrices, based on their statistical structure, is presented. The concepts associated with the retardance, enpolarization, and depolarization properties as well as the essential coupling between the latter two are straightforwardly described in the light of the new approach.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.448255 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Characterization of retardance of nondepolarizing and depolarizing media.
J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis
August 2024
A criterion for the characterization of the retardance effects produced by depolarizing and nondepolarizing linear media on interacting light is established based on Mueller matrices algebra. A consistent general description of retardance properties is performed by means of a serial decomposition of the Mueller matrix into three components, namely an element that encompasses the enpolarizing and depolarizing properties sandwiched by two elliptical retarders containing complete and decoupled information on retardance. The inherent ambiguity derived from the coincident formal structure of rotation matrices and circular retarders is removed though the introduction of the entrance and exit intrinsic reference frames, leading to the concepts of the intrinsic entrance and exit linear retarders, which are defined from the Mueller matrix itself and that are independent of the laboratory reference frames used to represent the incident and emerging polarized light beams, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOptical polarization is three-dimensional (3-D). Its complete information is described by the nine-component generalized Stokes vector (GSV). However, existing Stokes polarimetry and its design theory are primarily based on the paraxial four-component Stokes vector and 4 × 4 Mueller matrices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEstimation of Medium Depolarization Index with Noise Immunity in Catheter-Based PS-OCT toward Vascular Plaques Detection.
Chem Biomed Imaging
April 2024
School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
Article Synopsis
- Medium depolarization imaging using catheter-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) provides insights into lipid, macrophages, and cholesterol crystals in atherosclerotic plaques.
- The paper presents a method to accurately estimate the medium depolarization index (EMDI), which shows improved noise immunity and accuracy compared to traditional measurements like depolarization index (DI) and degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU).
- Experimental results indicate that EMDI enhances measurement accuracy by about 2.85 times and achieves a recognition rate of vascular plaques that is 2.99 to 4.65 times higher than DI and DOPU.
Mueller matrices provide a complete description of a medium's response to excitation by polarized light, and their characterization is important across a broad range of applications from ellipsometry in material science to polarimetry in biochemistry, medicine and astronomy. Here we introduce single-shot Mueller matrix polarimetry based on generalized measurements performed with a Poincaré beam. We determine the Mueller matrix of a homogeneous medium with unknown optical activity by detecting its optical response to a Poincaré beam, which across its profile contains all polarization states, and analyze the resulting polarization pattern in terms of four generalized measurements, which are implemented as a path-displaced Sagnac interferometer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLocal phase retardation (LPR) is increasingly recognized as a crucial biomarker for assessing disease progression. However, the presence of speckle noise significantly challenges its accuracy and polarization contrast. To address this challenge, we propose a signal-processing strategy aimed at reducing the impact of noise on LPR measurements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!