Wigner kernel and Gabor matrix of operators

We exhibit the connection between the Wigner kernel and the Gabor matrix of a linear bounded operator T : $\mathcal{S}(\mathbb{R}^d) \to \mathcal{S}' (\mathbb{R}^d)$. The smoothing effect of the Gabor matrix is highlighted by basic examples. This connection allows a comparison between the classes of Fourier integral operators defined by means of the Gabor matrix and the Wigner kernel, showing the nice off-diagonal decay of the Gabor class with respect to the Wigner kernel one and suggesting further investigations. Modulation spaces containing the Sj\"ostrand class are the symbol classes of this study.