Transpose symmetry of the Jones matrix and topological phases

The transmission Jones matrix of an arbitrary stack of reciprocal plane-parallel plates that has been turned through 180 degrees about an axis in the plane of the stack is, in an appropriate basis, the transpose of the transmission matrix of the unturned slab with a change in the sign of the off-diagonal elements. We prove this convention-free result for the case where reflection at the interfaces can be ignored and use it to devise an experimental scheme to separate isotropic and topological phase changes in a reciprocal optical medium. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.