polarimetrische

Polarimetrische (polarimetric) methods are techniques for measuring and analyzing the polarization state of light. Polarimetry investigates how materials and media alter the polarization, providing information about optical activity, birefringence, microstructure, and scattering properties. The polarization state can be described by Stokes parameters (I, Q, U, V); Mueller calculus offers a general framework for how optical elements transform these parameters, while Jones calculus is used for fully coherent, fully polarized light.

Instrumentation typically combines light sources, polarization state generators (polarizers and wave plates) and analyzers (polarizers and detectors). Depending on the application, polarimetry can be performed as imaging polarimetry, spectropolarimetry, or ellipsometry. Imaging polarimeters map polarization over a scene; spectropolarimeters measure polarization as a function of wavelength; ellipsometry characterizes thin films by measuring changes in polarization upon reflection.

Applications span science and technology. In chemistry and biochemistry, polarimetry measures optical rotation of chiral molecules and helps determine enantiomeric purity. In materials science and engineering, birefringence and residual stress are probed by photoelasticity and by ellipsometric models. In astronomy, polarized light carries information about magnetic fields, scattering geometries, and dust properties. In remote sensing and atmospheric science, polarization measurements improve land and water discrimination and aerosol retrieval.

Historical note: Polarimetry emerged in the 19th century with foundational work on light polarization; the Stokes parameter formalism was introduced in 1852, and later Mueller calculus broadened the treatment to partially polarized light.

In German-language usage, polarimetrische Verfahren describe these techniques, all aimed at quantifying how materials modify the polarization state of light.