Geometry of the Mueller matrix spectral decomposition.

An arbitrary Mueller matrix can be decomposed into a sum of up to four deterministic Mueller-Jones matrices, with strengths given by the eigenvalues of an associated Hermitian matrix. A geometrical representation of the eigenvalues in terms of the matrix invariants, using a barycentric (quaternary) plot, is presented. Different polarization purity measures can be expressed in terms of the barycentric coordinates.