Mueller matrix differential decomposition for direction reversal: application to samples measured in reflection and backscattering

Mueller matrix differential decomposition is a novel method for analyzing the polarimetric properties of optical samples. It is performed through an eigenanalysis of the Mueller matrix and the subsequent decomposition of the corresponding differential Mueller matrix into the complete set of 16 differential matrices which characterize depolarizing anisotropic media. The method has been proposed so far only for measurements in transmission configuration. In this work the method is extended to the backward direction. The modifications of the differential matrices according to the reference system are discussed. The method is successfully applied to Mueller matrices measured in reflection and backscattering. (C)2011 Optical Society of America