Quaternion algebra for Stokes–Mueller formalism

摘要

It is shown that the Stokes-Mueller formalism can be reformulated in terms ofquaternions, and the quaternion approach is more suitable for the formalism ofMueller-Jones states that we have recently described. In terms of quaternionsit can be shown that the vector and matrix states and the Jones matrixassociated to nondepolarizing optical systems are different representationsisomorphic to the same quaternion state, and this quaternion state turns out tobe the rotator of the Stokes quaternion. It is also shown that the coherentlinear combination of nondepolarizing optical media states and depolarizationphenomena can be reformulated in terms of quaternion states.