Information on the polarization properties of scattered light from plasmonic systems are of paramount importance due to fundamental interest and potential applications. However, such studies are severely compromised due to the experimental difficulties in recording full polarization response of plasmonic nanostructures. Here, we report on a novel Mueller matrix spectroscopic system capable of a...

We have studied the polarization characteristics of light scattered from randomly distributed spherical particles using the 4x4 Mueller matrix. The experimental system consists of a Helium-Neon laser, polarizers (vertical, horizontal, 45-degree linear, left-hand circular) and six analyzers (vertical, horizontal, 45-degree linear, 135-degree linear, right-hand circular, left-hand circular). If t...

We describe a new setup for a snapshot Mueller matrix polarimeter (SMMP). It relies on the separation and orthogonal polarization of two light beams by a Wollaston prism located at the setup output. The simultaneous treatment of the two spectra allows an enhancement of accuracy for real-time measurements through reduction of the effects caused by random noise and systematic errors. Moreover, it...

Materials can be tailored on the nano-scale to show properties that cannot be found in bulk materials. Often these properties reveal themselves when electromagnetic radiation, e.g. light, interacts with the material. Numerous examples of such types of materials are found in nature. There are for example many insects and birds with exoskeletons or feathers that reflect light in special ways. Of ...

Early diagnosis of glaucoma, which is a leading cause for visual impairment, is critical for successful treatment. It has been shown that Imaging polarimetry has advantages in early detection of structural changes in the retina. Here, we theoretically and experimentally present a snapshot Mueller Matrix Polarimeter fundus camera, which has the potential to record the polarization-altering chara...

The question of the physical significance of the Mueller matrix average is addressed by means of an analysis of interpolation processes. We draw a comparison between two interpolation processes. The first one is related to the classical Euclidean metrics and the second one is based on the log-Euclidean metrics. Both the associated interpolation procedures are depicted with their underlying phys...

Measurement of the light-scattering Mueller matrix of phytoplankton cultures resulted in a characteristic Mueller matrix much like that of seawater. Voss and Fry (1984) measured the scattering of polarized light by ocean water. We here report measurements of various phytoplankton cultures made to further our understanding of the ocean water measurements. To quantify changes in polarization due ...

The collagen meshwork in articular cartilage of chicken knee is characterized using Mueller matrix imaging and multiphoton microscopy. Direction and degree of dispersion of the collagen fibers in the superficial layer are found using a Fourier transform image-analysis technique of the second-harmonic generated image. Mueller matrix images are used to acquire structural data from the intermediat...

The Mueller matrix describes all the polarizing properties of a sample and, therefore, the optical differences between noncancerous and precancerous tissue that may be present within the matrix elements. A high-speed polarimetry system that generates 16 (4x4) full Mueller matrices to characterize tissues is presented. Feature extraction is done on the Mueller matrix elements resulting in depola...

We present a new way to extract characteristic features of the Mueller matrix images based on their frequency distributions and the central moments. We take the backscattering Mueller matrices of tissues with distinctive microstructures, and then analyze the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) of all the matrix elements. For anisotropic skeletal muscle and isotropic liver tissues, we find ...