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.

The Handbook of Photonics for Biomedical Science analyzes achievements, new trends, and perspectives of photonics in its application to biomedicine. With contributions from world-renowned experts in the field, the handbook describes advanced biophotonics methods and techniques intensively developed in recent years.Addressing the latest problems in

Polarized Light, Second Edition explores polarized light, its production, and its use, facilitating self-study without prior knowledge of Maxwell's equations. This comprehensive second edition includes more than 2500 thoroughly updated figures and equations for easier understanding and application across various industries. It features new chapters on polarization by refraction and reflection, polarization elements, anisotropic materials, Stokes polarimetry, Mueller matrix polarimetry, the mathematics of the Mueller matrix. This edition also offers updated and expanded material on the derivation of the Fresnel equations with plots of the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficients.

Comprehensive coverage of light polarization theory and its practical applications in today's cutting-edge technologies Besides being indispensable to modern investigations into the physical world, light polarization is a fundamental component of several revolutionary technological innovations in such diverse fields as telecommunications, pollution control, and medical diagnostics. Yet there is a conspicuous dearth of texts and professional references providing researchers and engineers with a unified, comprehensive treatment of basic light polarization theory and its applications to current microwave and optical technology. This book fills that gap in the literature. Fundamentals of Polarized Light serves equally well as an advanced text for physics and electrical engineering students and a professional reference for practicing engineers and researchers. It combines a rational, integrated presentation of the theory behind modern applications of light polarization with several demonstrations of current applications. A key feature of the book is that the analysis of polarized light and its interaction with linear optical media is presented from a statistical point of view. Topics covered include: * Historical foundations of polarized light * Classical radiation field theory and Maxwell's equations * Statistical theory of partial polarization, including a discussion of the thermodynamics of radiation fields * Propagation of polarized light through linear optical systems * Polarization transfer matrix methods for describing changes in polarization states that occur during reflection and refraction * Propagation of partially polarized waves in disordered systems and anisotropic media * Polarizers, compensators, and other optical components * Measurements of the Jones and Mueller polarization matrices

This book focuses on biomedical applications of polarized light, covering instrumentation and modeling specific to the field. This will be the first book, written by leading researchers in the field, to tackle this important topic. Readers will learn the fundamentals of polarized light transport and how to develop instrumentation for clinical and preclinical studies. They will also become familiar with the latest advancement in data analysis and image processing for a variety of medical applications. The book is dedicated specifically to the biomedical community, including scientists, engineers, and physicians working on the development of instrumentation for clinical and preclinical use. Emphasizes biomedical imaging and sensing; Describes new computational approaches with examples; Provides detailed descriptions of novel instrumentation.

This comprehensive introduction to polarized light provides students and researchers with the background and the specialized knowledge needed to fully utilize polarized light. It provides a basic introduction to the interaction of light with matter for those unfamiliar with photochemistry and photophysics. An in-depth discussion of polarizing optics is also given. Different analytical techniques are introduced and compared and introductions to the use of polarized light in various forms of spectroscopy are provided. Starts at a basic level and develops tools for research problems Discusses practical devices for controlling polarized light Compares the Jones, Mueller, and Poincaré sphere methods of analysis

This self-study guide explores polarization using the Stokes vector, the Stokes parameters and the Mueller matrices - lending a modern perspective to the topic. It includes material on the experiment for the classical Zeeman effect. Maxwell's equations, this book: utilizes the classical wave theory of optics in place of Maxwell's equations wherever possible; shows polarized light in terms of observables (Stokes polarization parameters), linking theoretical descriptions of the optical field to quantities that are actually measured in the laboratory; examines in detail Maxwell's theory and its connection to polarized light, and to accelerating charges in classical electrodynamics and quantum mechanics; documents various measurement methods using the Stokes vector and Mueller matrices; and explores the characterization of the complex refractive index and film thickness of optical materials.

This is a monograph concerning the scattering of electromagnetic waves from surfaces to generate information for the purposes of remote sensing. It combines, for the first time, a treatment of two important new ideas, namely information from the orientation or polarisation of the wave and how it can be combined with interferometry.

There is hardly a field of science or engineering that does not have some interest in light scattering by small particles. For example, this subject is important to climatology because the energy budget for the Earth's atmosphere is strongly affected by scattering of solar radiation by cloud and aerosol particles, and the whole discipline of remote sensing relies largely on analyzing the parameters of radiation scattered by aerosols, clouds, and precipitation. The scattering of light by spherical particles can be easily computed using the conventional Mie theory. However, most small solid particles encountered in natural and laboratory conditions have nonspherical shapes. Examples are soot and mineral aerosols, cirrus cloud particles, snow and frost crystals, ocean hydrosols, interplanetary and cometary dust grains, and microorganisms. It is now well known that scattering properties of nonspherical particles can differ dramatically from those of "equivalent" (e.g., equal-volume or equal-surface-area) spheres. Therefore, the ability to accurately compute or measure light scattering by nonspherical particles in order to clearly understand the effects of particle nonsphericity on light scattering is very important. The rapid improvement of computers and experimental techniques over the past 20 years and the development of efficient numerical approaches have resulted in major advances in this field which have not been systematically summarized. Because of the universal importance of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles, papers on different aspects of this subject are scattered over dozens of diverse research and engineering journals. Often experts in one discipline (e.g., biology) are unaware of potentially useful results obtained in another discipline (e.g., antennas and propagation). This leads to an inefficient use of the accumulated knowledge and unnecessary redundancy in research activities. This book offers the first systematic and unified discussion of light scattering by nonspherical particles and its practical applications and represents the state-of-the-art of this important research field. Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas and cover three major disciplines: theoretical and numerical techniques, laboratory measurements, and practical applications. An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of nonspherical scattering and should be especially useful to beginners and those interested in fast practical applications. The audience for this book will include graduate students, scientists, and engineers working on specific aspects of electromagnetic scattering by small particles and its applications in remote sensing, geophysics, astrophysics, biomedical optics, and optical engineering. The first systematic and comprehensive treatment of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles and its applications Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas Includes a survey of all the relevant literature scattered over dozens of basic and applied research journals Consistent use of unified definitions and notation makes the book a coherent volume An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of light scattering by nonspherical particles Theoretical chapters describe specific easy-to-use computer codes publicly available on the World Wide Web Extensively illustrated with over 200 figures, 4 in color

Biomedical optical imaging is a rapidly emerging research area with widespread fundamental research and clinical applications. This book gives an overview of biomedical optical imaging with contributions from leading international research groups who have pioneered many of these techniques and applications. A unique research field spanning the microscopic to the macroscopic, biomedical optical imaging allows both structural and functional imaging. Techniques such as confocal and multiphoton microscopy provide cellular level resolution imaging in biological systems. The integration of this technology with exogenous chromophores can selectively enhance contrast for molecular targets as well as supply functional information on processes such as nerve transduction. Novel techniques integrate microscopy with state-of-the-art optics technology, and these include spectral imaging, two photon fluorescence correlation, nonlinear nanoscopy; optical coherence tomography techniques allow functional, dynamic, nanoscale, and cross-sectional visualization. Moving to the macroscopic scale, spectroscopic assessment and imaging methods such as fluorescence and light scattering can provide diagnostics of tissue pathology including neoplastic changes. Techniques using light diffusion and photon migration are a means to explore processes which occur deep inside biological tissues and organs. The integration of these techniques with exogenous probes enables molecular specific sensitivity.