Complex degree of mutual polarization

Starting from the concepts of coherence and polarization, we generalize the conventional degree of polarization, introducing a two-point parameter, the complex degree of mutual polarization V, which is defined in terms of measurable quantities. We demonstrate the physical significance of this new quantity for the case of fully correlated, pure states of polarization at the two points, showing that the magnitude of V is a measure of the similarity between the states of polarization at two different points in space. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.