A simplified single-row configuration of a Mueller polarimeter (a fixed unpolarised source

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Optics & Photonics · Polarisation and anisotropic media · Polarisation and anisotropic media

What an Instrument Can See, Ch Polarisation as a statistical object: coherency and Mueller matrices

Problem

A simplified single-row configuration of a Mueller polarimeter (a fixed unpolarised source, a rotating ideal polariser at angle

\theta

, the sample, and a bare detector with no analyser) gives a detected signal, normalised to the incident intensity

I_{\mathrm{in}}

\frac{I(\theta)}{I_{\mathrm{in}}} = \tfrac12\big[M_{00} + M_{01}\cos2\theta + M_{02}\sin2\theta\big].

A Fourier fit to a measured signal (with

I_{\mathrm{in}}=1

in the same units) gives a constant term

0.30

, a

\cos2\theta

amplitude of

0.18

, and a

\sin2\theta

amplitude of

0.00

. ((a)) Extract

M_{00}

M_{01}

and

M_{02}

from these three coefficients. ((b)) State what physical property of the sample under test the ratio

M_{01}/M_{00}

describes.