Errors of Mueller matrix measurements with a partially polarized light source

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Metrology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mueller matrix measurements are essential for characterizing optical properties.
• Partially polarized light sources introduce unique challenges in polarimetric measurements.
• Imperfections in polarimetric components lead to systematic errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate linear errors in Mueller matrix measurements using partially polarized light.
• To derive error matrices for various polarimetric configurations.
• To analyze the impact of component imperfections on measurement accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of linear errors considering misalignment, depolarization, and nonideal parameters.
• Derivation of error matrices for source-polarizer and source-polarizer-compensator systems.
• Evaluation of Mueller matrix errors for polarizer-sample-analyzer and related systems.

Main Results:

• A polarized light source generates additional errors with imperfect polarizers.
• Compensators redistribute errors within the error matrix.
• The study quantifies errors for specific polarimetric setups and a Stokes method.

Conclusions:

• The developed error analysis is applicable to both polarimetry and ellipsometry.
• This framework provides a general method for evaluating measurement errors.
• Accurate optical characterization relies on understanding and mitigating these systematic errors.