Concept of polarization entropy in optical scattering

Shane R. Cloude; Eric Pottier

doi:10.1117/12.202062

1 June 1995 Concept of polarization entropy in optical scattering

Shane R. Cloude, Eric Pottier

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 34, Issue 6, (June 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.202062

Abstract

We consider the application of the general theory of unitary matrices to problems of wave scattering involving polarized waves. Haying outlined useful parameterizations of the low dimensional groups associated with these unitary matrices, we develop a general processing strategy, which we suggest has application in the extraction of physical information from a range of scattering matrices in optics. Examples are presented of applying the unitary matrix structure to problems of single and multiple scattering from a cloud of random particles. The techniques are best suited to characterization of depolarizing systems, where the scattered waves undergo a change of degree as well as polarization state. The degree of disorder of the system is then quantified by a scalar, the polarimetric entropy, defined from the eigenvalues of a scattering matrix that ranges from 0 for systems with zero scattering to 1 for perfect depolarizers. Further, we show that the unitary matrix parameterization can be used to extract important system information from the eigenvectors of this matrix.

Citation Download Citation

Shane R. Cloude and Eric Pottier "Concept of polarization entropy in optical scattering," Optical Engineering 34(6), (1 June 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.202062

Published: 1 June 1995

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available