B. Haidinger and W. , Ueber das directe Erkennen des polarisirten Lichts und der Lage der Polarisationsebene, Annalen der Physik und Chemie, vol.139, issue.9, pp.29-39, 1844.
DOI : 10.1002/andp.18441390903

C. Brosseau, Fundamentals of Polarized Light. A Statistical Optics Approach, 1998.

M. Born and E. Wolf, Principles of Optics, 1959.
DOI : 10.1017/CBO9781139644181

R. W. Schmieder, Stokes-Algebra Formalism, Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol.59, issue.3, pp.297-302, 1969.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSA.59.000297

G. G. Stokes, On the composition and resolution of streams of polarized light from different sources, Trans, Cambridge Phil. Soc, vol.9, pp.399-416, 1852.

K. Kim, L. Mandel, and E. Et-wolf, Relationship between Jones and Mueller matrices for random media, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.4, issue.3, pp.433-437, 1987.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.4.000433

J. J. Gil, Characteristic properties of Mueller matrices, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.17, issue.2, pp.328-334, 2000.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.17.000328

S. R. Cloude, Group theory and polarisation algebra, Optik, vol.75, pp.26-36, 1986.

J. W. Hovenier, Structure of a general pure Mueller matrix, Applied Optics, vol.33, issue.36, pp.8318-8324, 1994.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.33.008318

C. V. Van-der-mee, An eigenvalue criterion for matrices transforming Stokes parameters, Journal of Mathematical Physics, vol.34, issue.11, pp.5072-5087, 1993.
DOI : 10.1063/1.530343

L. Roy-brehonnet, F. Et-le-jeune, and B. , Utilization of Mueller matrix formalism to obtain optical targets depolarization and polarization properties, Progress in Quantum Electronics, vol.21, issue.2, pp.109-151, 1997.
DOI : 10.1016/S0079-6727(97)84687-3

D. G. Anderson and R. Et-barakat, Necessary and sufficient conditions for a Mueller matrix to be derivable from a Jones matrix, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.11, issue.8, pp.2305-2319, 1994.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.11.002305

R. Barakat, Conditions for the Physical Realizability of Polarization Matrices Characterizing Passive Systems, Journal of Modern Optics, vol.38, issue.12, p.1535, 1987.
DOI : 10.1016/0030-4018(82)90234-6

R. A. Chipman, Polarization Analysis Of Optical Systems, Optical Engineering, vol.28, issue.2, pp.90-99, 1989.
DOI : 10.1117/12.7976914

S. Lu and R. A. Et-chipman, Homogeneous and inhomogeneous Jones matrices, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.11, issue.2, pp.766-773, 1994.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.11.000766

S. Lu and R. A. Et-chipman, Interpretation of Mueller matrices based on polar decomposition, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.13, issue.5, pp.1106-1113, 1996.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.13.001106

J. J. Gil and E. Et-bernabeu, A Depolarization Criterion in Mueller Matrices, Optica Acta: International Journal of Optics, vol.20, issue.3, pp.259-261, 1985.
DOI : 10.1080/713821732

A. Kostinski, C. Givens, and J. Et-kwiatkowski, Constraints on Mueller matrices of polarization optics, Constraints on Mueller matrices of polarization optics, pp.1646-1651, 1993.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.32.001646

A. Kostinski, Depolarization criterion for incoherent scattering, Applied Optics, vol.31, issue.18, pp.31-3506, 1992.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.31.003506

C. Brosseau and A. Et-kostinski, Generalized trace condition on the Mueller???Jones polarization matrix, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.10, issue.10, pp.2248-2251, 1993.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.10.002248

R. Ossikovski, M. Anastasiadou, B. Hatit, S. Garcia-caurel, E. Et-de-martino et al., Depolarizing Mueller matrices: how to decompose them?, physica status solidi (a), vol.455, issue.456, pp.720-727, 2008.
DOI : 10.1002/pssa.200777793
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00458665

J. J. Gil and E. Et-bernabeu, Obtainment of the polarizing and retardation parameters of a non-depolarizing optical system from the polar decomposition of its Mueller matrix, Optik, vol.76, pp.67-71, 1987.

J. Morio and F. Et-goudail, Influence of the order of diattenuator, retarder, and polarizer in polar decomposition of Mueller matrices, Optics Letters, vol.29, issue.19, pp.2234-2236, 2004.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.29.002234
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00079490

R. Ossikovski, D. Martino, A. Et-guyot, and S. , Forward and reverse product decompositions of depolarizing Mueller matrices, Optics Letters, vol.32, issue.6, p.32, 2007.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.32.000689

M. Anastasiadou, B. Hatit, S. Ossikovski, R. Guyot, S. Et-de-martino et al., Experimental validation of the reverse polar decomposition of depolarizing Mueller matrices, Journal of the European Optical Society: Rapid Publications, vol.2, 2007.
DOI : 10.2971/jeos.2007.07018

R. Ossikovski, M. Anastasiadou, and A. Et-de-martino, Product decompositions of depolarizing Mueller matrices with negative determinants, Optics Communications, vol.281, issue.9, pp.281-2406, 2008.
DOI : 10.1016/j.optcom.2007.12.076

R. Ossikovski, Interpretation of depolarizing Mueller matrices based on the singular value decomposition, submitted to, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, 2008.

S. R. Cloude, The importance of polarisation information in optical remote sensing, Optical Systems for Space Applications of Proc. SPIE, pp.21-27, 1987.

Y. Cui and R. Et-azzam, Sixteen-beam grating-based division-of-amplitude photopolarimeter, Optics Letters, vol.21, issue.1, pp.89-91, 1996.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.21.000089

Y. Cui and R. Et-azzam, Calibration and testing of a sixteen???beam grating???based division???of???amplitude photopolarimeter, Review of Scientific Instruments, vol.66, issue.12, pp.5552-5558, 1995.
DOI : 10.1063/1.1146476

E. Compain, Ellipsomètre de Mueller achromatique fonctionnant en temps réel, Thèse de doctorat, École polytechnique, 1999.

B. Kaplan, Applications métrologiques de l'ellipsométrie de Müller, Thèse de doctorat, École polytechnique, 2002.

S. Ainouz, Analyse et Traitement d'Images Multidimensionnelles de Polarisation, Thèse de doctorat, 2006.

E. Compain and B. Et-drévillon, Broadband division-of-amplitude polarimeter based on uncoated prisms, Applied Optics, vol.37, issue.25, pp.5938-5946, 1998.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.37.005938

K. Brudzewski, Static Stokes Ellipsometer: General Analysis and Optimization, Journal of Modern Optics, vol.32, issue.5, pp.889-896, 1991.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.6.001513

J. S. Tyo, Design of optimal polarimeters: maximization of signal-to-noise ratio and minimization of systematic error, Applied Optics, vol.41, issue.4, pp.41-619, 2002.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.41.000619

R. M. Azzam and A. Et-de, Optimal beam splitters for the division-of-amplitude photopolarimeter, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.20, issue.5, pp.955-958, 2003.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.20.000955

J. Tyo, Noise equalization in Stokes parameter images obtained by use of variable-retardance polarimeters, Optics Letters, vol.25, issue.16, pp.1198-1200, 2000.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.25.001198

D. Sabatke, Optimization of retardance for a complete Stokes polarimeter, Optics Letters, vol.25, issue.11, pp.802-804, 2000.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.25.000802

M. Smith, Optimization of a dual-rotating-retarder Mueller matrix polarimeter, Applied Optics, vol.41, issue.13, pp.2488-2493, 2002.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.41.002488

W. H. Press, B. P. Flannery, S. A. Teukolsky, and W. T. Et-vetterling, Numerical Recipes in C : Second Edition, The art of scientific computing, 1992.

J. Tyo, Considerations in polarimeter design, in Polarization Analysis, Measurement, and Remote Sensing III, of Proc. SPIE, pp.65-74, 2000.

K. M. Twietmeyer and R. A. Et-chipman, Optimization of Mueller matrix polarimeters in the presence of error sources, Optics Express, vol.16, issue.15, pp.11589-11603, 2008.
DOI : 10.1364/OE.16.011589

F. Delplancke, Automated high-speed Mueller matrix scatterometer, Applied Optics, vol.36, issue.22, pp.5388-5395, 1997.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.36.005388

R. Collins and J. Et-koh, Dual rotating-compensator multichannel ellipsometer:???instrument design for real-time Mueller matrix spectroscopy of surfaces and films, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.16, issue.8, 1997.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.16.001997

J. Zallat, C. Collet, and Y. Et-takakura, Clustering of polarization-encoded images, Applied Optics, vol.43, issue.2, pp.283-292, 2004.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.43.000283
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00443683

D. Goldstein, Mueller matrix dual-rotating retarder polarimeter, Applied Optics, vol.31, issue.31, pp.6676-6683, 1992.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.31.006676

D. Goldstein and R. Et-chipman, Error analysis of a Mueller matrix polarimeter, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.7, issue.4, pp.693-700, 1989.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.7.000693

B. Boulbry, Error analysis and calibration of a spectroscopic Mueller matrix polarimeter using a short-pulse laser source, Measurement Science and Technology, vol.13, issue.10, pp.1563-1573, 2002.
DOI : 10.1088/0957-0233/13/10/309

B. Boulbry, B. Bousquet, B. Le-jeune, Y. Guern, J. Et et al., Polarization errors associated with zero-order achromatic quarter-wave plates in the whole visible spectral range, Optics Express, vol.9, issue.5, pp.225-235, 2001.
DOI : 10.1364/OE.9.000225.m001

B. Boulbry, B. Le-jeune, F. Pellen, J. Cariou, J. Et et al., Identification of error parameters and calibration of a double-crystal birefringent wave plate with a broadband spectral light source, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, vol.35, issue.20, pp.2508-2515, 2002.
DOI : 10.1088/0022-3727/35/20/308

E. Garcia-caurel, D. Martino, A. Et-drévillon, and B. , Spectroscopic Mueller polarimeter based on liquid crystal devices, Thin Solid Films, pp.455-456, 2004.

M. Anastasiadou, Imagerie polarimétrique : développements instrumentaux et applications biomédicales, Thèse de doctorat, École polytechnique, 2007.

B. Laude, Développements instrumentaux en imagerie tomographique et polarimétrique, Thèse de doctorat, École polytechnique, 2004.

E. Compain, S. Poirier, and B. Et-drévillon, General and self-consistent method for the calibration of polarization modulators, polarimeters, and Mueller-matrix ellipsometers, Applied Optics, vol.38, issue.16, pp.3490-3502, 1999.
DOI : 10.1364/AO.38.003490

J. L. Pezzaniti and R. A. Et-chipman, Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry, Optical Engineering, vol.34, issue.6, pp.1558-1568, 1995.
DOI : 10.1117/12.206161

J. L. Pezzaniti and R. A. Et-chipman, Linear polarization uniformity measurements taken with an imaging polarimeter, Optical Engineering, vol.34, issue.6, pp.1569-1573, 1995.
DOI : 10.1117/12.202070

D. L. Saucedo, Three-dimensional complete polarisation sensitive imaging using a confocal Mueller matrix polarimeter, Thèse de doctorat, 2005.

N. A. Beaudry, Y. Zhao, and R. A. Et-chipman, Dielectric tensor measurement from a single Mueller matrix image, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.24, issue.3, pp.814-824, 2007.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.24.000814

R. Spanier, R. Wolf, R. Loiterman, and M. Et-haller, Simultaneous multiple angle/multiple wavelength ellipsometer method, U. S. Patent Office, vol.166, p.752, 1992.

H. Mikkelsen, H. Engel, L. Danner, and C. Et-stey, Optical measurement arrangement having an ellipsometer, U. S. Patent Office, p.560, 2003.

R. Petit, Electromagnetic theory of gratings, 1980.
DOI : 10.1007/978-3-642-81500-3

D. Martino, A. Kim, Y. Garcia-caurel, E. Laude, B. Et-drévillon et al., Optimized Mueller polarimeter with liquid crystals, Optimized Mueller polarimeter with liquid crystals, p.616, 2003.
DOI : 10.1364/OL.28.000616
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00458744

R. Quintanilha, Etude du problème inverse en diffractométrie spectroscopique, Thèse de doctorat, 2005.

J. Foucher, E. Pargon, M. Martin, S. Reyne, and C. Et-dupréa, Paving the way for multiple applications for the 3D-AFM technique in the semiconductor industry, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXII, pp.69220-69221, 2008.
DOI : 10.1117/12.772675
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00398877

W. A. Mcgahan, M. V. Dusa, T. Kiers, T. J. Holden, and T. Et-giubotti, Normal incidence spectroscopic ellipsometry and polarized reflectometry for measurement and control of photoresist critical dimension, Metrology, Inspection and Process Control for Microlithography XVI, volume 4689 of Proc. SPIE, pp.1110-1121, 2002.

H. Huang and F. L. Et-jr, Erratum to "spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometry from gratings (scatterometry) for critical dimension measurement and in situ, realtime process monitoring" [thin solid films, Thin Solid Films, vol.468, pp.455-456, 2004.

M. Sendelbach and C. N. Et-archie, Scatterometry measurement precision and accuracy below 70 nm, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XVII, pp.224-238, 2003.
DOI : 10.1117/12.488117

J. Koshy, M. Sendelbach, and P. Et-herrera, Enabling gate etch process development using scatterometry, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXI, 2007.
DOI : 10.1117/12.716723

P. Leray, Accurate and reliable optical CD of MuGFET down to 10 nm, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXI, 2007.
DOI : 10.1117/12.713324

K. Lensing, A comprehensive comparison of spectral scatterometry hardware, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XIX, pp.337-350, 2005.
DOI : 10.1117/12.600783

S. Soulan, M. Besacier, T. Leveder, and P. Et-schiavone, Real-time profile shape reconstruction using dynamic scatterometry, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXI, 2007.
DOI : 10.1117/12.712015
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00137876

Y. Ku, S. Wang1, D. Shyu, and N. Et-smith, Scatterometry-based metrology with feature region signatures matching, Optics Express, vol.14, issue.19, pp.8482-8491, 2006.
DOI : 10.1364/OE.14.008482

A. Hettwer, N. Benesch, C. Schneider, L. Pfitzner, and H. Et-ryssel, Phi-scatterometry for integrated linewidth and process control in DRAM manufacturing, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, vol.15, issue.4, pp.15-470, 2002.
DOI : 10.1109/TSM.2002.804907

J. Petit, Improved CD and overlay metrology using an optical Fourier transform instrument, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XIX, pp.420-428, 2005.
DOI : 10.1117/12.599464

J. Hazart, Robust sub-50-nm CD control by a fast-goniometric scatterometry technique, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXI, p.65183, 2007.
DOI : 10.1117/12.712844

F. Perrin, Polarization of Light Scattered by Isotropic Opalescent Media, The Journal of Chemical Physics, vol.10, issue.7, pp.415-427, 1942.
DOI : 10.1063/1.1723743

A. Schönhofer and H. Et-kuball, Symmetry properties of the Mueller matrix, Chemical Physics, vol.115, issue.2, pp.159-167, 1987.
DOI : 10.1016/0301-0104(87)80030-7

T. Novikova, D. Martino, A. , B. Hatit, S. Et-drévillon et al., Application of Mueller polarimetry in conical diffraction for cd measurements in microelectronics, Appl. Opt, pp.45-3688, 2006.

T. Novikova, Metrology of replicated diffractive optics with Mueller polarimetry in conical diffraction, Optics Express, vol.15, issue.5, pp.2033-2046, 2007.
DOI : 10.1364/OE.15.002033
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00913564

D. Martino, A. Novikova, T. Arnold, C. , B. Hatit et al., Decorrelation of fitting parameters by Mueller polarimetry in conical diffraction, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XX, p.615253, 2006.
DOI : 10.1117/12.654834

M. Foldyna, Critical dimension of biperiodic gratings determined by spectral ellipsometry and Mueller matrix polarimetry, Eur. Phys, J. Appl. Phys, vol.42, pp.351-359, 2008.

D. Martino and A. , Comparison of spectroscopic Mueller polarimetry, standard ellipsometry and real space imaging techniques (sem and 3d-afm) for dimensional characterization of periodic structures, Metrology, Inspection and Process Control for Microlithography XXII, volume 6922 of Proc. SPIE, p.69221, 2008.

M. Nevière and E. Et-popov, Light Propagation in periodic media : Differential theory and design, 2002.

M. G. Moharam and T. K. Gaylord, Rigorous coupled-wave analysis of planar-grating diffraction, Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol.71, issue.7, pp.811-818, 1981.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSA.71.000811

M. G. Moharam, T. K. Gaylord, E. B. Grann, and D. A. Et-pommet, Formulation for stable and efficient implementation of the rigorous coupled-wave analysis of binary gratings, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.12, issue.5, pp.1068-1076, 1995.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.12.001068

M. G. Moharam, T. K. Gaylord, E. B. Grann, and D. A. Et-pommet, Stable implementation of the rigorous coupled-wave analysis for surface-relief gratings: enhanced transmittance matrix approach, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.12, issue.5, pp.1077-1086, 1995.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.12.001077

S. Peng and G. M. Morris, Efficient implementation of rigorous coupled-wave analysis for surface-relief gratings, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.12, issue.5, pp.1087-1096, 1995.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.12.001087

P. Lalanne and G. M. Morris, Highly improved convergence of the coupled-wave method for TM polarization, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.13, issue.4, pp.779-784, 1996.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.13.000779

L. Li, Formulation and comparison of two recursive matrix algorithms for modeling layered diffraction gratings, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.13, issue.5, pp.1024-1035, 1996.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.13.001024

L. Li, Use of Fourier series in the analysis of discontinuous periodic structures, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.13, issue.9, pp.1870-1876, 1996.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.13.001870

K. Knop, Rigorous diffraction theory for transmission phase gratings with deep rectangular grooves, Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol.68, issue.9, pp.1206-1210, 1978.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSA.68.001206

T. Novikova, D. Martino, A. Ossikovski, R. Et-drévillon, and B. , Metrological applications of Mueller polarimetry in conical diffraction for overlay characterization in microelectronics , Eur. Phys, J. Appl. Phys, pp.31-63, 2005.

M. Adel, Optimized Overlay Metrology Marks: Theory and Experiment, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, vol.17, issue.2, pp.166-179, 2004.
DOI : 10.1109/TSM.2004.826955

S. Berthier, Iridescences, les couleurs physiques des insectes, 2003.

B. Gralak, G. Tayeb, and S. Et-enoch, Morpho butterflies wings color modeled with lamellar grating theory, Optics Express, vol.9, issue.11, pp.567-578, 2001.
DOI : 10.1364/OE.9.000567
URL : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00081681

P. Vukusic, J. Sambles, C. Lawrence, and R. Et-wootton, Quantified interference and diffraction in single Morpho butterfly scales, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, vol.266, issue.1427, pp.1403-1411, 1999.
DOI : 10.1098/rspb.1999.0794

A. Yariv and P. Et-yeh, Optical Waves in Crystals : Propagation and Control of Laser Radiation, 2002.

T. Scharf, Polarized light in liquid crystals and polymers, 2007.
DOI : 10.1002/047007437X

R. Hegedüs, G. Szél, and G. Et-horváth, Imaging polarimetry of the circularly polarizing cuticle of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Rutelidae, Cetoniidae), Vision Research, vol.46, issue.17, pp.2786-2797, 2006.
DOI : 10.1016/j.visres.2006.02.007

S. Lowrey, L. D. Silva, I. Hodgkinson, and J. Et-leader, Observation and modeling of polarized light from scarab beetles, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, vol.24, issue.8, pp.2418-2425, 2007.
DOI : 10.1364/JOSAA.24.002418