Ellipsometry

Anisotropy

Materials science

Polarimetry

Scattering

Physical chemistry

Polarization (electrochemistry)

Matrix (chemical analysis)

Physics

Nanotechnology

Optics

Thin film

Composite material

Chemistry

Optoelectronics

Mueller calculus

Advanced Optical Technologies

The Mueller matrix is a mathematical description of how light is altered by an optical element or a sample under study. It describes both intensity (irradiance) and polarization changes, including a reduction of the total polarization. Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry has gained recent popularity in the optics and semiconductor communities as an effective means to characterize complex sample structures and anisotropic materials. While this method is not new, its recent expansion to new fields has left many users with only a pedestrian understanding of the data they collect. This tutorial provides an overview of Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry with focus on practical aspects for those new to the technique.

Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry