A Practical Guide to Mueller Matrix Analysis of Chiroptical Materials.

This work provides a unified theoretical framework for analyzing chiroptical properties, specifically circular dichroism and circular birefringence, using Mueller matrix polarimetry. We consolidate previously derived results into a comprehensive and practical guide, presenting explicit closed-form expressions for the most general nondepolarizing Mueller matrix and its key limiting cases. The analysis covers the general scenario involving six independent polarization parameters, approximations for weak effects, and important special cases such as systems with coincident linear axes, pure linear or circular anisotropy, and nonabsorbing or nonretarding media. The matrices provided here are intended to facilitate the design, analysis, and interpretation of polarimetric experiments in chemistry, biology, and materials science.