Piquero Sanz, Gemma MaríaMovilla Serrano, Jesús MaríaMartínez Herrero, María RosarioMejías Arias, Pedro Miguel2023-06-202023-06-20©1998 Else1998-04-15Piquero Sanz, G. M., Movilla Serrano, J. M., Martínez Herrero, M. R., Mejías Arias, P. M. «Parametric Characterization of Non-Uniformly Polarized Beams». Optics Communications, vol. 149, n.o 4-6, abril de 1998, pp. 230-34. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/S0030-4018(98)00018-2.0030-401810.1016/S0030-4018(98)00018-2https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/58846The research work leading to this paper has been supported by the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología of Spain, under project TAP96-2333-E, within the framework of EU-1269 project. We also thank an anonymous referee for attaching a copy of the relevant pages of Ref. w15x, for the authors.A new overall parameter is defined, namely, the generalized degree of polarization, which involves the spatial distribution of the polarization of a light beam. This parameter is introduced on the basis of a general treatment recently proposed [Optics Leb. 22 (1997) 206] to characterize partially polarized fields, which extends the Stokes-Mueller formalism to describe the intensity moments of a quasimonochromatic beam. The main properties and the physical meaning of this parameter with regard to the spatial inhomogeneities of the polarization state are analysed, and a general measurement procedure is proposed.engjournal articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0030-4018(98)00018-2http://www.sciencedirect.comopen access535LightÓptica (Física)2209.19 Óptica Física