Coherency vector formalism for polarimetric transformations

Despite the virtues of Jones and Mueller formalisms for the representation of the polarimetric properties, for some purposes in both Optics and SAR Polarimetry, the concept of coherency vector associated with a nondepolarizing medium has proven to be an useful mathematical structure that inherits certain symmetries underlying the nature of linear polarimetric transformations of the states of polarization of light caused by its interaction with material media. While the Jones and Mueller matrices of a serial combination of devices are given by the respective conventional matrix products, the composition of coherency vectors of such serial combinations requires a specific and unconventional mathematical rule. In this work, a vector product of coherency vectors is presented that satisfies, in a meaningful and consistent manner, the indicated requirements. As a result, a new algebraic formalism is built where the representation of polarization states of electromagnetic waves through Stokes vectors is preserved, while nondepolarizing media are represented by coherency vectors and general media are represented by coherency matrices generated by partially coherent compositions of the coherency vectors of the constituents. •Polarimetric formalism where material media are represented by coherency matrices.•New ”coherency product” for coherency vectors of serial combinations.•Partially-coherent parallel compositions are integrated in the formalism in a natural way.•Synthesis of general depolarizing coherency matrices.•Explicit expressions for all the algebraic connections among main polarimetric structures.