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Showing papers on "Polarimetry published in 2020"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed Mueller matrix model was developed to correct the instrumental polarization effects of the complete optical system, that is, the telescope and IRDIS, and applied to observations of the circumstellar disk of T Cha.
Abstract: Context. Circumstellar disks and self-luminous giant exoplanets or companion brown dwarfs can be characterized through direct-imaging polarimetry at near-infrared wavelengths. SPHERE/IRDIS at the Very Large Telescope has the capabilities to perform such measurements, but uncalibrated instrumental polarization effects limit the attainable polarimetric accuracy. Aims. We aim to characterize and correct the instrumental polarization effects of the complete optical system, that is, the telescope and SPHERE/IRDIS. Methods. We created a detailed Mueller matrix model in the broadband filters Y, J, H, and Ks and calibrated the model using measurements with SPHERE’s internal light source and observations of two unpolarized stars. We developed a data-reduction method that uses the model to correct for the instrumental polarization effects, and applied it to observations of the circumstellar disk of T Cha. Results. The instrumental polarization is almost exclusively produced by the telescope and SPHERE’s first mirror and varies with telescope altitude angle. The crosstalk primarily originates from the image derotator (K-mirror). At some orientations, the derotator causes severe loss of signal (> 90% loss in the H- and Ks-band) and strongly offsets the angle of linear polarization. With our correction method we reach, in all filters, a total polarimetric accuracy of ≲ 0.1% in the degree of linear polarization and an accuracy of a few degrees in angle of linear polarization. Conclusions. The correction method enables us to accurately measure the polarized intensity and angle of linear polarization of circumstellar disks, and is a vital tool for detecting spatially unresolved (inner) disks and measuring the polarization of substellar companions. We have incorporated the correction method in a highly-automated end-to-end data-reduction pipeline called IRDAP, which we made publicly available online.

70 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
16 Nov 2020-ACS Nano
TL;DR: An on-chip polarimeter comprising four metasurface-integrated graphene-silicon photodetectors is reported, ideal for a variety of polarization-based applications including biological sensing, quantum information processing, and polarization photography.
Abstract: The ability to detect the full-Stokes polarization of light is vital for a variety of applications that often require complex and bulky optical systems. Here, we report an on-chip polarimeter comprising four metasurface-integrated graphene-silicon photodetectors. The geometric chirality and anisotropy of the metasurfaces result in circular and linear polarization-resolved photoresponses, from which the full-Stokes parameters, including the intensity, orientation, and ellipticity of arbitrarily polarized incident infrared light (1550 nm), can be obtained. The design presents an ultracompact architecture while excluding the standard bulky optical components and structural redundancy. Computational extraction of full-Stokes parameters from mutual information among four detectors eliminates the need for a large absorption contrast between different polarization states. Our monolithic plasmonic metasurface integrated polarimeter is ideal for a variety of polarization-based applications including biological sensing, quantum information processing, and polarization photography.

70 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Stereo-polarimetric compressed ultrafast photography (SP-CUP) is implemented to record light-speed high-dimensional events in a single exposure and applied to the spatiotemporal characterization of linear polarization dynamics in early-stage plasma emission from laser-induced breakdown.
Abstract: Simultaneous and efficient ultrafast recording of multiple photon tags contributes to high-dimensional optical imaging and characterization in numerous fields. Existing high-dimensional optical imaging techniques that record space and polarization cannot detect the photon's time of arrival owing to the limited speeds of the state-of-the-art electronic sensors. Here, we overcome this long-standing limitation by implementing stereo-polarimetric compressed ultrafast photography (SP-CUP) to record light-speed high-dimensional events in a single exposure. Synergizing compressed sensing and streak imaging with stereoscopy and polarimetry, SP-CUP enables video-recording of five photon tags (x, y, z: space; t: time of arrival; and ψ: angle of linear polarization) at 100 billion frames per second with a picosecond temporal resolution. We applied SP-CUP to the spatiotemporal characterization of linear polarization dynamics in early-stage plasma emission from laser-induced breakdown. This system also allowed three-dimensional ultrafast imaging of the linear polarization properties of a single ultrashort laser pulse propagating in a scattering medium.

44 citations


Posted Content
TL;DR: In this article, a meta-optical front end in conjunction with an image-processing back end is designed to suppress the noise sensitivity of the inverse-scattering computation by several orders of magnitude.
Abstract: By co-designing a meta-optical front end in conjunction with an image-processing back end, we demonstrate noise sensitivity and compactness substantially superior to either an optics-only or a computation-only approach, illustrated by two examples: subwavelength imaging and reconstruction of the full polarization coherence matrices of multiple light sources. Our end-to-end inverse designs couple the solution of the full Maxwell equations---exploiting all aspects of wave physics arising in subwavelength scatterers---with inverse-scattering algorithms in a single large-scale optimization involving $\gtrsim 10^4$ degrees of freedom. The resulting structures scatter light in a way that is radically different from either a conventional lens or a random microstructure, and suppress the noise sensitivity of the inverse-scattering computation by several orders of magnitude. Incorporating the full wave physics is especially crucial for detecting spectral and polarization information that is discarded by geometric optics and scalar diffraction theory.

38 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The NASA/ASI imaging x-ray polarimetry explorer, which will be launched in 2021, will be the first instrument to perform spatially resolved x-rays polarimetric on several astronomical sources in the 2- to 8-keV energy band.
Abstract: The NASA/ASI imaging x-ray polarimetry explorer, which will be launched in 2021, will be the first instrument to perform spatially resolved x-ray polarimetry on several astronomical sources in the 2- to 8-keV energy band. These measurements are made possible owing to the use of a gas pixel detector (GPD) at the focus of three x-ray telescopes. The GPD allows simultaneous measurements of the interaction point, energy, arrival time, and polarization angle of detected x-ray photons. The increase in sensitivity, achieved 40 years ago, for imaging and spectroscopy with the Einstein satellite will thus be extended to x-ray polarimetry for the first time. The characteristics of gas multiplication detectors are subject to changes over time. Because the GPD is a novel instrument, it is particularly important to verify its performance and stability during its mission lifetime. For this purpose, the spacecraft hosts a filter and calibration set (FCS), which includes both polarized and unpolarized calibration sources for performing in-flight calibration of the instruments. We present the design of the flight models of the FCS and the first measurements obtained using silicon drift detectors and charge-coupled device cameras, as well as those obtained in thermal vacuum with the flight units of the GPD. We show that the calibration sources successfully assess and verify the functionality of the GPD and validate its scientific results in orbit; this improves our knowledge of the behavior of these detectors in x-ray polarimetry.

28 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work provides the first polarimetric BRDF (pBRDF) dataset that captures the polarIMetric properties of real-world materials over the full angular domain, and at multiple wavelengths, and proposes a scheme combining image-based acquisition with spectroscopic ellipsometry to perform measurements in a realistic time.
Abstract: Realistic modeling of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of scene objects is a vital prerequisite for any type of physically based rendering. In the last decades, the availability of databases containing real-world material measurements has fueled considerable innovation in the development of such models. However, previous work in this area was mainly focused on increasing the visual realism of images, and hence ignored the effect of scattering on the polarization state of light, which is normally imperceptible to the human eye. Existing databases thus only capture scattered flux, or polarimetric BRDF datasets are too directionally sparse (e.g., in-plane) to be usable for simulation. While subtle to human observers, polarization is easily perceived by any optical sensor (e.g., using polarizing filters), providing a wealth of additional information about shape and material properties of the object under observation. Given the increasing application of rendering in the solution of inverse problems via analysis-by-synthesis and differentiation, the ability to realistically model polarized radiative transport is thus highly desirable. Polarization depends on the wavelength of the spectrum, and thus we provide the first polarimetric BRDF (pBRDF) dataset that captures the polarimetric properties of real-world materials over the full angular domain, and at multiple wavelengths. Acquisition of such reflectance data is challenging due to the extremely large space of angular, spectral, and polarimetric configurations that must be observed, and we propose a scheme combining image-based acquisition with spectroscopic ellipsometry to perform measurements in a realistic amount of time. This process yields raw Mueller matrices, which we subsequently transform into Rusinkiewicz-parameterized pBRDFs that can be used for rendering. Our dataset provides 25 isotropic pBRDFs spanning a wide range of appearances: diffuse/specular, metallic/dielectric, rough/smooth, and different color albedos, captured in five wavelength ranges covering the visible spectrum. We demonstrate usage of our data-driven pBRDF model in a physically based renderer that accounts for polarized interreflection, and we investigate the relationship of polarization and material appearance, providing insights into the behavior of characteristic real-world pBRDFs.

28 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an all-digital approach that enables a rapid measure of all four intensities without any moving components is presented. But it is not suitable for real-time polarimetry.
Abstract: Stokes polarimetry is widely used to extract the polarization structure of optical fields, typically from six measurements, although it can be extracted from only four. To measure the required intensities, most approaches are based on optical polarization components. In this work, we present an all-digital approach that enables a rapid measure of all four intensities without any moving components. Our method employs a polarization grating (PG) to simultaneously project the incoming mode into left- and right-circular polarized states, followed by a polarization-insensitive digital micromirror device (DMD), which digitally introduces a phase retardance for the acquisition of the remaining two polarization states. We demonstrate how this technique can be applied to measuring the SoP, vectorness, and intramodal phase of optical fields, without any moving components, and shows excellent agreement with theory, illustrating fast, real-time polarimetry.

23 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three kinds of estimators are considered to estimate the concentrations of sucrose solutions from measuring the rotation angle of the linear polarization of the output photons, through repetition of independent and identical measurements performed for each individual estimator and different concentration sucrose solution, the estimation uncertainty among the three estimators is compared.
Abstract: We perform experimental quantum polarimetry using a heralded single photon to analyze the optical activity of linearly polarized light traversing a chiral medium. Three kinds of estimators are considered to estimate the concentrations of sucrose solutions from measuring the rotation angle of the linear polarization of the output photons. Through repetition of independent and identical measurements performed for each individual scheme and different concentration sucrose solutions, we compare the estimation uncertainty among the three schemes. The results are also compared to classical benchmarks for which a coherent state of light is taken into account. The quantum enhancement in the estimation uncertainty is evaluated and the impact of experimental and technical imperfections is discussed. In this work, we lay out a route for future applications relying on quantum polarimetry.

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A tutorial on performing Stokes polarimetry in an all-digital approach, exploiting a modern optical toolkit based on liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators and digital micromirror devices.
Abstract: Stokes polarimetry is a mature topic in optics, most commonly performed to extract the polarization structure of optical fields for a range of diverse applications. For historical reasons, most Stokes polarimetry approaches are based on static optical polarization components that must be manually adjusted, prohibiting automated, real-time analysis of fast changing fields. Here we provide a tutorial on performing Stokes polarimetry in an all-digital approach, exploiting a modern optical toolkit based on liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators and digital micromirror devices. We explain in a tutorial fashion how to implement two digital approaches, based on these two devices, for extracting Stokes parameters in a fast, cheap, and dynamic manner. After outlining the core concepts, we demonstrate their applicability to the modern topic of structured light, and highlight some common experimental issues. In particular, we illustrate how digital Stokes polarimetry can be used to measure key optical parameters such as the state of polarization, degree of vectorness, and intra-modal phase of complex light fields.

19 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Polarization is the intrinsic property of electromagnetic wave and has not been fully investigated in remote sensing field as mentioned in this paper, where the incident solar radiation is polarized by the components in the atmosphere.
Abstract: Polarization is the intrinsic property of electromagnetic wave and has not been fully investigated in remote sensing field. The incident solar radiation is polarized by the components in the atmosp...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the RIT Polarization Imaging Camera (RITPIC) was developed for low signal-to-noise regime with a special attention to the low SNR regime.
Abstract: In the last decade, imaging polarimeters based on micropolarizer arrays have been developed for use in terrestrial remote sensing and metrology applications. Micropolarizer-based sensors are dramatically smaller and more mechanically robust than other polarimeters with similar spectral response and snapshot capability. To determine the suitability of these new polarimeters for astronomical applications, we developed the RIT Polarization Imaging Camera to investigate the performance of these devices, with a special attention to the low signal-to-noise regime. We characterized the device performance in the lab, by determining the relative throughput, efficiency, and orientation of every pixel, as a function of wavelength. Using the resulting pixel response model, we developed demodulation procedures for aperture photometry and imaging polarimetry observing modes. We found that, using the current calibration, RITPIC is capable of detecting polarization signals as small as <0.3%. To demonstrate the stability of RITPIC's calibration and its extreme portability, we performed imaging polarimetry of the Solar corona in Madras, Oregon during the total Solar eclipse of 2017. The maximum polarization we measured was ~46%, which agrees well with the maximum value predicted for a Thomson scattering corona. Similarly, we found no strong deviations in the angle of linear polarization from the tangential direction. The relative ease of data collection, calibration, and analysis provided by these sensors suggest than they may become an important tool for a number of astronomical targets.

Journal ArticleDOI
19 Jun 2020
TL;DR: In this article, a pair of polarizers made of four diamond crystals were used to achieve a linear polarization state of x-rays. But the authors did not show that the purity of the linear polarization is determined by the divergence of the beam.
Abstract: This work demonstrates the realization of a highly pure linear polarization state of x-rays using a pair of polarizers each made of four diamond crystals. With these polarizers, the authors reach the limit where the purity of the polarization is determined by the divergence of the beam.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the potential of Sentinel-1A attributes for map mapping in areas with cloud cover, using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for ground targets.
Abstract: Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been an alternative for monitoring ground targets, especially in areas with cloud cover. This study evaluates the potential of Sentinel-1A attributes for map...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A simple and flexible non-interferometric method to generate various polarization singularity lattice fields based on a double modulation technique that uses a single reflective spatial light modulator to generate different lattice structures consisting of V-point and C-point polarization singularities.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a simple and flexible non-interferometric method to generate various polarization singularity lattice fields. The proposed method is based on a double modulation technique that uses a single reflective spatial light modulator to generate different lattice structures consisting of V-point and C-point polarization singularities. The present technique is compact with respect to previous experimental realization techniques. Different structures having star and lemon fields are generated without altering the experimental setup. In addition, the same setup can be used to obtain different types of inhomogeneous fields embedded with isolated polarization singularities even of higher orders. The Stokes polarimetry method has been used to obtain the polarization distributions of generated fields, which are in good agreement with simulated results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an all-digital approach that enables a rapid measure of all four intensities without any moving components is presented, which employs a Polarisation Grating (PG) to simultaneously project the incoming mode into left and right-circular polarised states, followed by a polarisation-insensitive Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) which digitally introduces a phase retardance for the acquisition of the remaining two polarisation states.
Abstract: Stokes polarimetry is widely used to extract the polarisation structure of optical fields, typically from six measurements, although it can be extracted from only four. To measure the required intensities, most approaches are based on optical polarisation components. In this work, we present an all-digital approach that enables a rapid measure of all four intensities without any moving components. Our method employs a Polarisation Grating (PG) to simultaneously project the incoming mode into left- and right-circular polarised states, followed by a polarisation-insensitive Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), which digitally introduces a phase retardance for the acquisition of the remaining two polarisation states. We demonstrate how this technique can be applied to measuring the SoP, vectorness and intra-modal phase of optical fields, without any moving components and shows excellent agreement with theory, illustrating fast, real-time polarimetry.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The new terahertz time-domain polarimetry (THz-TDP) technique has the advantage of not using any external polarizers, and therefore is not constrained by their optical performance limitations, such as restricted bandwidths and frequency-dependent extinction ratio.
Abstract: We have developed a terahertz time-domain polarimetry (THz-TDP) system by applying frequency modulation to electro-optic sampling detection in a nonlinear crystal. We characterized the precision of this system in determining the polarization angles to be 1.3° for fixed time delay, and 0.5° for complete time-domain waveform. Furthermore, we calculated the Jones matrix of the optical components used for beam propagation to calibrate the induced systematic error. The advantages of employing this calibration approach are demonstrated on a sapphire crystal investigated at different sample test positions in transmission configuration, and using high resistivity Si, AlN and quartz in reflection geometry. The new THz-TDP technique has the advantage of not using any external polarizers, and therefore is not constrained by their optical performance limitations, such as restricted bandwidths and frequency-dependent extinction ratio. Finally, the THz-TDP technique can be easily implemented on existing time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) systems.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this tutorial, an introductory treatment of non-uniformly totally polarized beams is given and several methods for generating them are described.
Abstract: Polarization of a light beam is traditionally studied under the hypothesis that the state of polarization is uniform across the transverse section of the beam. In such a case, if the paraxial approximation is also assumed, the propagation of the beam reduces to a scalar problem. Over the last few decades, light beams with spatially variant states of polarization have attracted great attention, due mainly to their potential use in applications such as optical trapping, laser machining, nanoscale imaging, polarimetry, etc. In this tutorial, an introductory treatment of non-uniformly totally polarized beams is given. Besides a brief review of some useful parameters for characterizing the polarization distribution of such beams across transverse planes, from both local and global points of view, several methods for generating them are described. It is expected that this tutorial will serve newcomers as a starting point for further studies on the subject.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A critical study of the required system and platform parameters for the planned PolInSAR space missions must be carried out to ensure the performance of forest-height estimation.
Abstract: Polarimetry synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (PolInSAR) is a promising technology for globalscale forest-height mapping. Many PolInSAR space missions have been proposed or are under development. To ensure the performance of forest-height estimation, a critical study of the required system and platform parameters for the planned mission must be carried out. This involves theoretical modeling of wave scattering of the forest canopy, SAR imaging-simulation of polarimetric interferometry, implementation of a parameter-inversion algorithm, and errorbudget analysis of forest-height retrieval.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: PolarLight as discussed by the authors is the first dedicated soft X-ray polarimeter in space since the 1970s and is attempting to reopen this long-awaited window in astronomy, explain Principal Investigator Hua Feng and Ronaldo Bellazzini.
Abstract: PolarLight is the first dedicated soft X-ray polarimeter in space since the 1970s and is attempting to reopen this long-awaited window in astronomy, explain Principal Investigator Hua Feng and Ronaldo Bellazzini.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new Cs3B3O3F6 compound is obtained by a high-temperature solution method, which has the DUV cutoff edge and suitable birefringence based on the experimental and computational results, demonstrating that the isolated B3O2F6 unit is a potential group, which favors the search for suitable compounds for DUV zero-order waveplate materials.
Abstract: The zero-order waveplates, the essential materials in altering the polarization state of optical waves, are significant in polarimetry and the laser industry. Restricted by birefringence and absorp...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a self-consistency method of polarimetric radar variables is proposed to evaluate the reflectivity calibration of W-band cloud radars. But the method cannot be directly applied to higher frequencies, where non-Rayleigh scattering effects and attenuation have a non-negligible influence on radar variables.
Abstract: . This study presents two methods to evaluate the reflectivity calibration of W-band cloud radars. Both methods use natural rain as a reference target. The first approach is based on a self-consistency method of polarimetric radar variables, which is widely used in the precipitation radar community. As previous studies pointed out, the method cannot be directly applied to higher frequencies, where non-Rayleigh scattering effects and attenuation have a non-negligible influence on radar variables. The method presented here solves this problem by using polarimetric Doppler spectra to separate backscattering and propagational effects. New fits between the separated radar variables allow to estimate the absolute radar calibration using a minimization technique. The main advantage of the self-consistency method is its less dependence on the spatial variability in radar drop-size-distribution (DSD). The estimated uncertainty of the method is 0.7 dB. The method was applied to three intense precipitation events and the retrieved reflectivity offsets were within the estimated uncertainty range. The second method is an improvement of the conventional disdrometer-based approach, where reflectivity from the lowest range gate is compared to simulated reflectivity using surface disdrometer observations. The improved method corrects first for the time-lag between surface DSD observations and the radar measurements at a certain range. In addition, the effect of evaporation of raindrops on their way towards the surface is mitigated. The disdrometer-based method was applied to 12 rain events observed by vertically-pointed W-band radar and showed repeatable estimates of the reflectivity offsets at rain rates below 4 mm/h within 0.9 dB. The proposed approaches can analogously be extended to Ka-band radars. Although very different in terms of complexity, both methods extend existing radar calibration evaluation approaches, which are inevitably needed for the growing cloud radar networks in order to provide high-quality radar observation to the atmospheric community.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Stokes vector trajectory on the Poincaré sphere reveals the role of scattering and birefringence in the total phase retardation of circularly polarized light propagated in biological tissues.
Abstract: Significance: Biological tissues are typically characterized by high anisotropic scattering and may also exhibit linear form birefringence. Both scattering and birefringence bias the phase shift between transverse electric field components of polarized light. These phase alterations are associated with particular structural malformations in the tissue. In fact, the majority of polarization-based techniques are unable to distinguish the nature of the phase shift induced by birefringence or scattering of light. Aim: We explore the distinct contributions of scattering and birefringence in the phase retardation of circularly polarized light propagated in turbid tissue-like scattering medium. Approach: The circularly polarized light in frame of Stokes polarimetry approach is used for the screening of biotissue phantoms and chicken skin samples. The change of optical properties in chicken skin is accomplished by optical clearing, which reduces scattering, and mechanical stretch, which induces birefringence. The change of optical properties of skin tissue is confirmed by spectrophotometric measurements and second-harmonic generation imaging. Results: The contributions of scattering and birefringence in the phase retardation of circularly polarized light propagated in biological tissues are distinguished by the locus of the Stokes vector mapped on the Poincare sphere. The phase retardation of circularly polarized light due to scattering alterations is assessed. The value of birefringence in chicken skin is estimated as 0.3 × 10 − 3, which agrees with alternative studies. The change of birefringence of skin tissue due to mechanical stretch in the order of 10 − 6 is detected. Conclusions: While the polarimetric parameters on their own do not allow distinguishing the contributions of scattering and birefringence, the resultant Stokes vector trajectory on the Poincare sphere reveals the role of scattering and birefringence in the total phase retardation. The described approach, applied independently or in combination with Mueller polarimetry, can be beneficial for the advanced characterization of various types of malformations within biological tissues.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A good match is found among the three cases, thus confirming that the proposed intensity-correlation-based technique is a useful one and should be applicable with dynamic diffusers as well as in unstable environments.
Abstract: Light propagating through a scattering medium generates a random field, which is also known as a speckle. The scattering process hinders the direct retrieval of the information encoded in the light based on the randomly fluctuating field. In this study, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a method for the imaging of polarimetric-phase objects hidden behind a scattering medium based on two-point intensity correlation and phase-shifting techniques. One advantage of proposed method is that it does not require mechanical rotation of polarization elements. The method exploits the relationship between the two-point intensity correlation of the spatially fluctuating random field in the observation plane and the structure of the polarized source in the scattering plane. The polarimetric phase of the source structure is determined by replacing the interference intensity in traditional phase shift formula with the Fourier transform of the cross-covariance of the intensity. The imaging of the polarimetric-phase object is demonstrated by comparing three different phase-shifting techniques. We also evaluated the performance of the proposed technique on an unstable platform as well as using dynamic diffusers, which is implemented by replacing the diffuser with a new one during each phase-shifting step. The results were compared with that obtained with a fixed diffuser on a vibration-isolation platform during the phase-shifting process. A good match is found among the three cases, thus confirming that the proposed intensity-correlation-based technique is a useful one and should be applicable with dynamic diffusers as well as in unstable environments.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three kinds of estimators are considered to estimate the concentrations of sucrose solutions from measuring the rotation angle of the linear polarization of the output photons, through repetition of independent and identical measurements performed for each individual estimator and different concentration sucrose solution, the estimation uncertainty among the three estimators is compared.
Abstract: We perform experimental quantum polarimetry using a heralded single photon to analyze the optical activity of linearly polarized light traversing a chiral medium. Three kinds of estimators are considered to estimate the concentrations of sucrose solutions from measuring the rotation angle of the linear polarization of the output photons. Through repetition of independent and identical measurements performed for each individual scheme and different concentration sucrose solutions, we compare the estimation uncertainty among the three schemes. The results are also compared to classical benchmarks for which a coherent state of light is taken into account. The quantum enhancement in the estimation uncertainty is evaluated and the impact of experimental and technical imperfections is discussed. In this work, we lay out a route for future applications relying on quantum polarimetry.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An absorption-based polarization grating made of dichroic dye-doped polymerizable liquid crystal that manifest a polarization-sensitive diffraction efficiency over the absorption band of the employed dye material, based on theoretical analysis and experimental evidence is demonstrated.
Abstract: We demonstrate an absorption-based polarization grating made of dichroic dye-doped polymerizable liquid crystal. These gratings manifest a polarization-sensitive diffraction efficiency over the absorption band of the employed dye material, based on our theoretical analysis and experimental evidence. The spectral range can be easily tailored by varying the dye material. Since these gratings generate first-order diffracted beams with orthogonal circular polarizations, they can be utilized as key components in polarimetry systems. Meanwhile, due to their absorptive nature, these polarization gratings can function as LED-compatible polarization masks for photopatterning while fabricating various liquid crystal devices.

Journal ArticleDOI
14 Apr 2020
TL;DR: The quantum theory of polarimetry can be used to place constraints on classical polarization transformations, find quantum-enhanced polarization measurements, and investigate the quantum structure underlying classical polarization as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: This article provides a description of the quantum mechanical processes underlying polarimetry; for example, classical depolarization is represented by a quantum circuit diagram corresponding to SU(3) operations in an enlarged Hilbert space. The quantum theory of polarimetry can be used to place constraints on classical polarization transformations, find quantum-enhanced polarization measurements, and investigate the quantum structure underlying classical polarization.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an iterative reconstruction method is presented for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to recover the polarization parameters from the data acquired by linear Stokes polarimeters without polarimetric calibrations.
Abstract: Usually, the practical analysis states of an imaging polarimeter need to be calibrated, with a set of standard polarization states, for the accurate reconstruction of Stokes parameters. However, it is challenging to get the standard elements for the polarimetric calibration. In this Letter, an iterative reconstruction method is presented for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to recover the polarization parameters from the data acquired by linear Stokes polarimeters without polarimetric calibrations. Inspired from phase-shifting interferometry, the method employs two least squares iterative procedures and requires no extra element for assistance. Experimental results show that the iterative method is more robust to noise perturbation and gets higher precision compared with the calibration method with reference polarization states.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The goal of the evaluation is first to compare which algorithm performs better with regard to polarization error and then to investigate both the influence of the dynamic range and number of polarization angle stimuli of the training data.
Abstract: A polarization filter array (PFA) camera is an imaging device capable of analyzing the polarization state of light in a snapshot manner. These cameras exhibit spatial variations, i.e., nonuniformity, in their response due to optical imperfections introduced during the nanofabrication process. Calibration is done by computational imaging algorithms to correct the data for radiometric and polarimetric errors. We reviewed existing calibration methods and applied them using a practical optical acquisition setup and a commercially available PFA camera. The goal of the evaluation is first to compare which algorithm performs better with regard to polarization error and then to investigate both the influence of the dynamic range and number of polarization angle stimuli of the training data. To our knowledge, this has not been done in previous work.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Test results show that the mid-wave infrared polarization imaging system can complete the acquisition of the DoLP and the AoP images well with the frame frequency of 45 fps, which is suitable for the infrared polarization detection of the moving scenes.
Abstract: In this Letter, a polarimetric analyzer is designed for a mid-wave infrared camera. This kind of infrared camera transforms into the mid-wave infrared polarization imaging system to measure the infrared polarization characteristics of the object in the moving scene. The polarimetric analyzer is designed by using the ultra-high-speed and high-position method to drive the polarizer to rotate uniformly at the speed of 900 rpm. The polarization state of the object scene is changed, and the mid-wave infrared camera synchronously acquires the infrared intensity image in different polarized directions, those of 0°, 120°, and 240°. Then, a Stokes vector model is established with the basic rotation angles, and a sort-iteration method is proposed to process the original infrared intensity image. Three continuously neighboring infrared intensity images are used to calculate the degree of linear polarization (DoLP) and the angle of polarization (AoP), which make the infrared polarization image the same imaging frame as the infrared intensity image. Test results show that the mid-wave infrared polarization imaging system can complete the acquisition of the DoLP and the AoP images well with the frame frequency of 45 fps, which is suitable for the infrared polarization detection of the moving scenes. The study has great potential for polarization remote sensing and marine object detection.