A polarization density matrix description of birefringent photon scattering

Abstract

A general description of linear optical birefringence effects is presented in terms of the effect of forward scattering on the photon polarization density matrix. The approach enables explicit statements to be given for the polarization changes involved in any linear birefringence phenomenon in terms of R matrix elements between plane-polarized base states. Expressions in terms of molecular quantities are listed for the R matrix elements involved in some typical natural and induced birefringence effects. This description of birefringence is related to the infinitestimal unitary transformations of the density matrix and rotations in Poincaré space.