Abstract

We clarify and extend in several ways our previous research on the optimal reception of partially polarized waves [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 5, 58– 64 ( 1988)]. A more precise discussion is given of various intensities that are measured by a polarimeter in response to a partially polarized wave. It is then shown that previous optimization results for a purely polarized source can be generalized to permit a partially polarized source as well. Closed form solutions, not previously developed, for the extrema of total energy contained in a wave are also pointed out. Four optimization problems are then discussed and compared for the purely and the partially polarized cases. Numerical illustrations are also presented.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Optimal reception of partially polarized waves

Alexander B. Kostinski, Brian D. James, and Wolfgang-M. Boerner
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 5(1) 58-64 (1988)

Depolarization criterion for incoherent scattering

Alexander B. Kostinski
Appl. Opt. 31(18) 3506-3508 (1992)

Calibration, properties, and applications of the division-of-amplitude photopolarimeter at 632.8 and 1523 nm

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J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 9(9) 1615-1622 (1992)

Structured decomposition design of partial Mueller matrix polarimeters

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Determination of the characteristic polarization states of the radar target scattering matrix [S(AB)] for the coherent monostatic and reciprocal propagation space by using the complex polarization ratio ρ transformation formulation

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