Abstract

Optical polarimetric techniques to identify and characterize biological and chemical materials have received much attention recently for their broad applications in biophotonics, biochemistry, biomedicine, and pharmacology. We present here several options for the measurement of optical rotation, diattenuation, and the index of depolarization. These include polar decomposition, identification of specific pairs of Mueller matrix elements that are proportional to optical activity, and the cross-polarized components of lateral waves and surface waves at the interface between free space and the optically active material.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

Cross polarization of lateral waves propagating along a free-space–chiral planar interface: applications to identification of optically active materials

Ezekiel Bahar
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 28(5) 1194-1199 (2011)

Road maps for the use of Mueller matrix measurements to detect and identify biological and chemical materials through their optical activity: potential applications in biomedicine, biochemistry, security, and industry

Ezekiel Bahar
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 26(2) 364-370 (2009)

Guided surface waves over a free-space-chiral interface: applications to identification of optically active materials

Ezekiel Bahar
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 28(4) 867-872 (2011)

Total transmission of incident plane waves that satisfy the Brewster conditions at a free-space–chiral interface

Ezekiel Bahar
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 27(9) 2055-2060 (2010)

Mueller matrices for waves reflected and transmitted through chiral materials: waveguide modal solutions and applications

Ezekiel Bahar
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24(7) 1610-1619 (2007)