First-order Statistics of Stokes Parameters in Speckle Fields

The polarization properties of scattered monochromatic light fields are described by stochastic Stokes parameters S 0, S 1, S 2 and S 3 which fluctuate in space. We determine the theoretical first-order probability density functions of these Stokes parameters assuming a chi-square density for the intensity of orthogonal linear polarized field components, a uniform density for the relative phase between the corresponding fields and statistical independence of these stochastic quantities. If these assumptions hold, the density of S 0 equals the probability density of a sum of two speckle fields and S 1, S 2 and S 3 are Laplace variates.