Modern description of polarized light: matrix methods

Problems involving the calculation of the passage of a polarized light beam through a succession of polarizing devices are often difficult and tedious. These may be simplified if modern methods of describing polarized light are used, namely the Stokes and Jones vectors, the Mueller and Jones calculi and the coherency matrix formalism. In this paper these concepts are presented and the vectors for various states of polarized light and the matrices of polarizers and retardation plates are given, together with examples of their method of use.