Physical Review

A Stokes-Parameter Technique for the Treatment of Polarization in Quantum Mechanics

U. Fano

Published Jan 1, 1954• 164 citations

Abstract

A technique is presented which adapts the Stokes method to quantum mechanics and serves to calculate polarization effects by means of Pauli matrices. Illustrative examples indicate that this technique may be not only convenient mathematically but also physically more transparent than previous methods.

DOI: 10.1103/physrev.93.121

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