This paper describes two sensors built on existing Nichols polarimetric sensor designs that provide Stokes four-vector polarimetric data on static targets. The midwave infrared (MWIR) sensor uses a Raytheon-Amber AE-173 indium antimonide (InSb) 256x256 focal plane array to provide data in the 3-5 micron waveband. The long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor uses a Raytheon-Amber AE-173 mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) 256x256 focal plane array to provide data in the 8-10 micron waveband. To the extent possible, these sensors have been designed to use the same mechanical, optical, and electronics hardware.Each sensor uses a custom closed-cycle dewar, which contains the focal plane and an optics package, maintained at a constant temperature. The optics package contains a motorized eight-position filter wheel, a linear polarizer, and a motorized rotating % h waveplate. A warm lOOmm F/#2 refractive telescope is external to the dewar. A customized set of electronics is used to control the sensor and acquire and process the polarimetric image data in near real-time.
The output from a laser diode is not circularly symmetric, the output divergence in one axis is much greater than that in the transverse axis. MEMS Optical has developed a laser diode circularizer 1 that can take the elliptical output beam from a laser diode and circularize the beam. Due to it's operating principle, it has a major advantage in that precise alignment is not required, making assembly operations much simpler and faster. Due to the ability to manufacture this device in wafer scale, it can be economically manufactured. We report here the results of a series of optical performance measurements, including wavefront phase and Strehl ratio. Designed for a wavelength of 650nm, it has less than 0.05 waves of wavefront error, Strehl ratios as high as 98%, efficiency of 89%, and circularity >0.95. The lenses have low aberrations and high throughput with a circular cross section. These lenses are ideal for use in applications such as optical data storage, fiber coupling, and any application in which degraded performance is due to an elliptical beam.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.