title: Study on the validity of 3 × 3 Mueller matrix decomposition.
abstract: Using Monte Carlo simulations based on previously developed scattering models consisting of spherical and cylindrical scatterers imbedded in birefringent interstitial medium, we compare the polarization parameters extracted from the 3×3 and 4×4 Mueller matrix decomposition methods in forward and backward scattering directions. The results show that the parameters derived from the 3×3 Mueller matrix decomposition are usually not the same as those from the 4×4 Mueller matrix decomposition but display similar qualitative relations to changes in the microstructure of the sample, such as the density, size, and orientation distributions of the scatterers, and birefringence of the interstitial medium. The simulations are backed up by experiments when suitable samples are available.
authors.affiliation: Tsinghua University, Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yunfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Peking University, Institute of Software, School of Electronic and Computer Science, Key Laboratory of High Confidence Software Technologies, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Yihong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Tsinghua University, Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Tsinghua University, Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Tsinghua University, Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Honghui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Tsinghua University, Institute of Optical Imaging and Sensing, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Minimal Invasive Medical Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results