Generalized Stokes vector for three photon process

Abstract

Stokes Mueller formalism is used to measure the optical properties of materials by probing the sensitive changes in the polarization state of light after scattering from the medium. The formalism can be extended to nonlinear scattering processes involving two and three photon processes also. In this paper, we derive the Stokes vector, viz. triple Stokes vector analytically from quantum theory of light for a three photon process. The state of polarization of light, with three simultaneous photons, incident on a material is described by triple Stokes vector, and has 16 components involving cubes of intensities dependence. The response of a material for the scattered light in a three photon process is described by 4 × 16 Mueller matrix. Polarization in Polarization out (PIPO) experiments can be carried out to determine the elements of Mueller matrix. We identify 16 independent points on Poincare sphere and construct triple Stokes vector for each point. Four measurements are done to determine the linear Stokes vector of scattered light, where the 16 polarization states are represented by triple Stokes vector and this determines the Mueller matrix of the sample.

Study of a bi-axial (KTP) crystal using Double Stokes Mueller Polarimetry

“…The theory of double Stokes-Mueller formalism based on particle nature of light was initially proposed by Y.Shi et.al [21] and by Samim et.al, using the wave nature of light [16]. The three-photon nonlinear optical process is also studied using nonlinear Stokes-Mueller formalism using particle as well as wave nature of light [22,23]. This technique was effectively used to characterize the changes in ultrastructural features of the cancerous, tumorous tissues from that of normal tissues by way of comparing the different degree of linear polarization (DOLP) and finding the ratio of different susceptibility components [24,25].…”