Parameters of Lorentz Matrices and Transitivity in Polarization Optics

Abstract

In the context of applying the Lorentz group theory to polarization optics in the frames of Stokes-Mueller formalism, some properties of the Lorentz group are investigated. We start with the factorized form of arbitrary Lorentz matrix as a product of two commuting and conjugate $4\times 4$-matrices, $L(q,q)= A(q_{a}) A^*(q_{a}); a= 0,1,2,3$. Mueller matrices of the Lorentzian type M=L are pointed out as a special sub-class i n the total set of $4\times 4$ matrices of the linear group GL(4,R). Any arbitrary Lorentz matrix is presented as a linear combination of 16 elements of the Dirac basis. On this ground, a method to construct parameters q_a by an explicitly given Lorentz matrix L is elaborated. It is shown that the factorized form of L=M matrices provides us with a number of simple transitivity equations relating couples of initial and final 4-vectors, which are defined in terms of parameters q_a of the Lorentz group. Some of these transitivity relations can be interpreted within polarization optics and can be applied to the group-theoretic analysis of the problem of measuring Mueller matrices in optical experiments.