StokesMueller

StokesMueller is a formalism in polarization optics that integrates the Stokes parameter representation of light with Mueller calculus to analyze and predict the transformation of polarized light by optical elements and systems. It combines the four-component Stokes vector, [I, Q, U, V], describing total intensity and degrees of polarization, with the 4x4 Mueller matrix, which encodes how an optical component alters polarization state. In the StokesMueller approach, a light beam’s input Stokes vector S_in is transformed by a Mueller matrix M to yield S_out = M S_in. The technique accounts for partial polarization and depolarization, allowing the composite effects of multiple elements to be chained by successive matrix multiplications.

Origin and usage: The underlying formalism rests on classical polarization optics, where Stokes parameters offer a probabilistic description of polarization, and Mueller matrices provide a linear representation of optical transformations that operate on the Stokes vector. The combined term "StokesMueller" is used variably in literature and software to denote either a conceptual framework or a practical toolkit for polarimetry, including calibration, measurement, and data analysis. Applications include remote sensing, astronomical polarimetry, biomedical imaging, and industrial polarization control, where accurate modeling of polarization through complex stacks is essential.

Limitations: The approach assumes well-characterized Mueller matrices for each element and does not uniquely determine the internal physical mechanisms if depolarization is strong; it may require supplementary differential or coherence-based formalisms for fully polarized sources.