Effective Estimates of the Stokes Parameters of Partially Polarized Radiation in Conditions of Normal Additive Noise

Abstract

Methods of parametric information theory were used to study the minimum variance boundary of estimates of the Stokes parameters of partially polarized quasi-monochromatic radiation in a polarimetric framework with the analyzer and the phase compensator under conditions of normal additive noise. Optimal plans for measurements and the corresponding variance matrixes are found, based on analysis of information density distributions regarding the Stokes parameters for coefficients of the angle of rotation of the analyzer and phase shift of the compensator. Formulas for obtaining effective estimates of the Stokes parameters are introduced. Limit errors of the estimates of the polarization parameters and their distributions over the Poincaré sphere are calculated.