Method of Creating a Matrix Element


To create the final 16 elements of the Mueller matrix, images acquired with the CCD camera must be combined in very specific ways. It is necessary to capture images of every possible orientation of the two polarization optics. The order of the optics is not commutative, meaning a horizontally polarized incident beam and a vertical polarizer in front of the camera will not necessarily create the same image as a vertically polarized beam and horizontal polarizer. In the experiment data, the orientations are defined with a two letter combination. The first letter represents the polarization of the incident laser (created by either rotating the laser or adding a quarter-wave plate), and the second letter represents the analyzer polarizer in front of the camera.

H-
small laser is turned to emit horizontally polarized light

-H
small analyzer polarizer in front of camera is oriented to admit only horizontally polarized light

V-
small laser is turned to emit vertically polarized light

-V
small analyzer polarizer in front of camera is oriented to admit only vertically polarized light

P-
small laser is turned to emit light polarized at 45 degrees from the horizontal

-P
small analyzer polarizer in front of camera is oriented to admit only light polarized at 45 degrees fromthe horizontal

R-
small a quarter wave plate is placed directly in front of the laser to create right-hand circularly polarized light

-R
small a quarter-wave plate is used as an analyzer optic

In this manner, the combination ``HV'' would represent the picture taken with a horizontally polarized laser and an analyzer directly in front of the camera oriented to allow only vertically polarized light to pass. The basic mathematical functions (i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication) are done using the Scion image analysis software. To create some matrix elements it is necessary to subtract an entire other element, which is done solely to simplify the equations.




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