Transfer matrix for treating stratified media including birefringent crystals

摘要

Birefringent crystals are extensively used to manipulate polarized light. Thegeneralized transfer matrix developed allows efficient calculation of the fullpolarization state of light transmitted through and reflected by a stack ofarbitrarily-many discrete layers of isotropic and birefringent materials at anyfrequency and angle of incidence. The matrix of a uniaxial birefringent crystalwith arbitrary rotation is calculated, along with its reduction to the matrixof an isotropic medium. This method is of great practical importance wheretight control of systematic effects is needed in optical systems employingbirefringent crystals, one example being wave plates used by cosmic microwavebackground polarimetry with wide field-of-view telescopes.