ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the effects on the polarization of the electromagnetic waves upon their linear interaction with matter. It presents several interesting examples of Jones matrices that illustrate a variety of possible physical situations. The chapter considers the mathematical formulation, by means of Jones matrices, of the nondepolarizing transformation of polarization states represented either by Jones vectors. A material medium behaves, in general, in a different manner with respect to different kinds of interaction. For example, it can be linear and nondepolarizing with respect to reflection, as well as with respect to input waves satisfying particular spectral or coherence features. When a totally polarized electromagnetic plane wave interacts with a homogeneous and nondispersive medium, and provided the interfaces between the surrounding media of propagation and the medium in question are smooth, the output beam remains totally polarized.
