P. Elies et al., THE APPLICATION OF DE-POLARIZATION ANALYSIS TO POLARIMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF METALLIC AND DIELECTRIC SAMPLES, Journal of physics. D, Applied physics, 30(18), 1997, pp. 2520-2529
Reflection polarization transformations by a given sample depends both
on the composition and surface state and on the illumination angle. I
n the present work, the evolution of polarization transformation given
by dielectric samples and metallic surfaces has been studied. The ini
tial metallic surface was polished up to 1 mu m and then progressively
debased. The polarimetric characteristics are described by using the
Mueller matrix, which provides the depolarization index, namely the me
an depolarization power, and the degree of polarization for all the pu
re incident states of polarization. The polarization of each sample is
measured for various angles of incidence. The noise is reduced by a s
tatistical method to optimize the matrix elements. The results obtaine
d are first presented in a global matrix form and then the depolarizat
ion phenomenon is analysed. In the last step the studied samples are c
haracterized and classified.