1997/07/20 by D. Han, Y. S. Kim, Marilyn E. Noz
Physics and Astronomy · #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.56.6065
RevTeX, 22 pages, no figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. E
arxiv created 1997/07/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
It is noted that the Jones-matrix formalism for polarization optics is a six-parameter two-by-two representation of the Lorentz group. It is shown that the four independent Stokes parameters form a Minkowskian four-vector, just like the energy-momentum four-vector in special relativity. The optical filters are represented by four-by-four Lorentz-transformation matrices. This four-by-four formalism can deal with partial coherence described by the Stokes parameters. A four-by-four matrix formulation is given for decoherence effects on the Stokes parameters, and a possible experiment is proposed. It is shown also that this Lorentz-group formalism leads to optical filters with a symmetry property corresponding to that of two-dimensional Euclidean transformations.