From: astroelectronic@t-online.de   
      
   Thanks for all your answers.   
      
   Part of my confusion comes from the fact that Phil's book is the only one   
   which describes polarization states as matrices. In other sources they are   
   described by vectors (1)(2). But I understand that the matrix gives us more   
   degrees of freedom, which are    
   required for describing partially polarized light.    
      
   Let's assume I've done some Jones calculations and as the result I've got a   
   2x2 matrix which describes the polarization state at the exit of my system.   
   How can this matrix be translated into something meaningful, for example   
   intensity, degree of    
   polarization and angle of mean polarization?   
   Or how can the 2x2 matrix be converted into Stokes parameters?    
      
   (1) Hecht/Zajac: Optics, second edition, table 8.5 on page 323   
   (2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_calculus   
      
   Thanks,   
   Michael   
      
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