Quantum theory of polarimetry: From quantum operations to Mueller matrices

Quantum descriptions of polarization show the rich degrees of freedom underlying classical light. While changes in polarization of light are well-described classically, a full quantum description of polarimetry, which characterizes substances by their effects on incident light's polarization, is lacking. We provide sets of quantum channels that underlie classical polarimetry and thus correspond to arbitrary Mueller matrices. This allows us to inspect how the quantum properties of light change in a classical polarimetry experiment, and to investigate the extra flexibility that quantum states have during such transformations. Moreover, our quantum channels imply a new method for discriminating between depolarizing and nondepolarizing Mueller matrices, which has been the subject of much research. This theory can now be taken advantage of to improve estimation strategies in classical polarimetry and to further explore the boundaries between classical and quantum polarization.