Relationships between elements of the Stokes matrix.
Overview
Overview
abstract
Although there are sixteen elements of the Stokes Matrix, they are constructed from basically four amplitudes and three phase differences. This of course implies that there exists nine independent relationships connecting the elements. These relationships are equalities for scattering by a single particle in a fixed orientation and in a fixed direction. They become inequalities when Stokes matrices from an ensemble of particles differing in size, orientation, morphology, or optical properties are added incoherently. These relations will prove to be very useful for providing consistency checks on experimental measurements of all sixteen elements. (A)
