Unitary and non-unitary operations on the Poincar\'e sphere and Pancharatnam-Berry phase with $\mathbf{Z}$ matrices

TL;DR

This paper explores how unitary and non-unitary operations using Z matrices on the Poincaré sphere can demonstrate the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase in polarization optics.

Contribution

It introduces the use of Z matrices as a generalization of Jones matrices for representing polarization transformations, including non-unitary operations, on the Poincaré sphere.

Findings

Z matrices can represent both unitary and non-unitary polarization operations.

Pancharatnam-Berry phase can be demonstrated through Z matrix operations.

Compact forms of Z matrices relate to Poincaré sphere components.

Abstract

In polarization optics unitary and non-unitary operations can be carried out by the Jones matrix. $\mathbf{Z}$ matrix is the $4\times 4$ analogue of the Jones matrix and the Mueller matrix of a nondepolarizing optical medium can be written as $\mathbf{M}=\mathbf{Z}\mathbf{Z}^*$. Jones matrix acts on the two component complex Jones vector, while the $\mathbf{Z}$ matrix acts on the four component real Stokes vector. Polarizer and retarder $\mathbf{Z}$ matrices can be written in compact forms in terms of the components of the position vector on the Poincar\'e sphere. In this note it is shown that the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase can be demonstrated by unitary and non-unitary $\mathbf{Z}$ matrix operations.