Part I: Introduction to Polarized Light Introduction Polarization in the Natural Environment Sources of Polarized Light Polarized Light in the Atmosphere Production of Polarized Light by Animals Polarization Vision in the Animal Kingdom Wave Equation in Classical Optics The Wave Equation Young''s Interference Experiment Reflection and Transmission of a Wave at an Interface The Polarization Ellipse The Instantaneous Optical Field and the Polarization Ellipse Specialized (Degenerate) Forms of the Polarization Ellipse Elliptical Parameters of the Polarization Ellipse Stokes Polarization Parameters Derivation of Stokes Polarization Parameters Stokes Vector Classical Measurement of Stokes Polarization Parameters Stokes Parameters for Unpolarized and Partially Polarized Light Additional Properties of Stokes Polarization Parameters Stokes Parameters and the Coherency Matrix Stokes Parameters and the Pauli Matrices Mueller Matrices for Polarizing Components Mueller Matrix of a Linear Diattenuator (Polarizer) Mueller Matrix of a Linear Retarder Mueller Matrix of a Rotator Mueller Matrices for Rotated Polarizing Components Generation of Elliptically Polarized Light Mueller Matrix of a Depolarizer Fresnel Equations: Derivation and Mueller Matrix Formulation Fresnel Equations for Reflection and Transmission Mueller Matrices for Reflection and Transmission at an Air-Dielectric Interface Special Forms for Mueller Matrices for Reflection and Transmission Emission Polarization Mathematics of the Mueller Matrix Constraints on the Mueller Matrix Eigenvector and Eigenvalue Analysis Example Eigenvector Analysis The Lu-Chipman Decomposition Decomposition Order Decomposition of Depolarizing Matrices with Depolarization Symmetry Decomposition Using Matrix Roots Summary Mueller Matrices for Dielectric Plates The Diagonal Mueller Matrix and the Abcd Polarization Matrix Mueller Matrices for Single and Multiple Dielectric Plates The Jones Matrix Formalism The Jones Vector Jones Matrices for the Polarizer, Retarder, and Rotator Applications of the Jones Vector and Jones Matrices Jones Matrices for Homogeneous Elliptical Polarizers and Retarders The Poincare Sphere Theory of the Poincare Sphere Projection of the Complex Plane onto a Sphere Applications of the Poincare Sphere Fresnel-Arago Interference Laws Stokes Vector and Unpolarized Light Young''s Double Slit Experiment Double Slit with Parallel Polarizers: The First Law Double Slit with Perpendicular Polarizers: The Second Law Double Slit and the Third Law Double Slit and the Fourth Law Part II: Polarimetry Introduction Methods of Measuring Stokes Polarization Parameters Classical Measurement Method: Quarter-Wave Retarder and Polarizer Method Measurement of Stokes Parameters Using a Circular Polarizer Null-Intensity Method Fourier Analysis Using a Rotating Quarter-Wave Retarder Method of Kent and Lawson Simple Tests to Determine the State of Polarization of an Optical Beam Measurement of the Characteristics of Polarizing Elements Measurement of Attenuation Coefficients of a Polarizer (Diattenuator) Measurement of the Phase Shift of a Retarder Measurement of Rotation Angle of a Rotator Stokes Polarimetry Rotating Element Polarimetry Oscillating Element Polarimetry Phase Modulation Polarimetry Techniques in Simultaneous Measurement of Stokes Vector Elements Optimization of Polarimeters Mueller Matrix Polarimetry Dual Rotating Retarder Polarimetry Other Mueller Matrix Polarimetry Methods Techniques in Imaging Polarimetry Historical Perspective Measurement Considerations Measurement Strategies and Data Reduction Techniques General Measurement Strategies: Imaging Architecture for Integrated Polarimeters System Considerations Summary Channeled Polarimetry for Snapshot Measurements Channeled Polarimetry Channeled Spectropolarimetry Channeled Imaging Polarimetry Sources of Error in Channeled Polarimetry Mueller Matrix Channeled Spectropolarimeters Channeled Ellipsometers Part III: Applications Introduction Crystal Optics Review of Concepts from Electromagnetism Crystalline Materials and Their Properties Crystals Application of Electric Fields: Induced Birefringence and Polarization Modulation Magneto-Optics Liquid Crystals Modulation of Light Photoelastic Modulators Concluding Remarks Optics of Metals Maxwell''s Equations for Absorbing Media Principal Angle of Incidence Measurement of Refractive Index and Absorption Index of Optically Absorbing Materials Measurement of Refractive Index and Absorption Index at an Incident Angle of 45° Polarization Optical Elements Polarizers Retarders Rotators Depolarizers Ellipsometry Fundamental Equation of Classical Ellipsometry Classical Measurement of the Ellipsometric Parameters Psi (ψ) and Delta (Δ) Solution of the Fundamental Equation of Ellipsometry Further Developments in Ellipsometry: Mueller Matrix Representation of ψ and Δ Form Birefringence and Meanderline Retarders Form Birefringence Meanderline Elements Part IV: Classical and Quantum Theory of Radiation by Accelerating Charges Introduction to Classical and Quantum Theory of Radiation by Accelerating Charges Maxwell''s Equations for Electromagnetic Fields The Classical Radiation Field Field Components of the Radiation Field Relation between Unit Vector in Spherical Coordinates and Cartesian Coordinates Relation between Poynting Vector and Stokes Parameters Radiation Emitted by Accelerating Charges Stokes Vector for a Linearly Oscillating Charge Stokes Vector for an Ensemble of Randomly Oriented Oscillating Charges Stokes Vector for a Charge Rotating in a Circle Stokes Vector for a Charge Moving in an Ellipse Radiation of an Accelerating Charge in the Electromagnetic Field 30.1 Motion of a Charge in an Electromagnetic Field 30.2 Stokes Vectors for Radiation Emitted by Accelerating Charges The Classical Zeeman Effect Historical Introduction Motion of a Bound Charge in a Constant Magnetic Field Stokes Vector for the Zeeman Effect Further Applications of the Classical Radiation Theory Relativistic Radiation and the Stokes Vector for a Linear Oscillator Relativistic Motion of a Charge Moving in a Circle: Synchrotron Radiation cerenkov Effect Thomson and Rayleigh Scattering The Stokes Parameters and Mueller Matrices for Optical Activity and Faraday Rotation Optical Activity Faraday Rotation in a Transparent Medium Faraday Rotation in a Plasma Stokes Parameters for Quantum Systems Relation between Stokes Polarization Parameters and Quantum Mechanical Density Matrix Note on Perrin''s Introduction of Stokes Parameters, the Density Matrix, and Linearity of Mueller Matrix Elements Radiation Equations for Quantum Mechanical Systems Stokes Vectors for Quantum Mechanical Systems Appendices: Conventions in Polarized Light Jones and Stokes Vectors Jones and Mueller Matrices Relationships between the Jones and Mueller Matrix Elements Vector Representation of the Optical Field: Application to Optical Activity.