Modelling polarized light for computer graphics

The quality of visual realism in computer generated images is largely determined by the accuracy of the reflection model. Advances in global illumination techniques have removed to a large extent, some of the limitations on the physical correctness achievable by reflection models. While models currently used by researchers are physically based, most approaches have ignored the polarization of light. The few previous efforts addressing the polarization of light were hampered by inherently unphysical light transport algorithms. This paper, besides taking polarization of light into account in the reflection computation, also provides a basis for modelling polarization as an inherent attribute of light, using the Stokes parameters. A reflection model is developed within this framework and the implementation within a global illumination algorithm called Photon is presented.

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