Removing the influence of the angle of incidence in a dual rotating retarder Mueller matrix polarimeter

Abstract

Due to the sensitivity of wave plates to the angle of incidence (AOI) of light, the accuracy of a dual rotating retarder Mueller matrix polarimeter is also influenced by the AOI. Unlike other conventional systematic errors, the phase retardance error of wave plates caused by AOI is a periodic perturbation rather than a constant. We propose a new method to eliminate the influence of AOI based on a numerical calibration method. To verify the reliability of the proposed calibration method, we measured various types of samples in a transmission Mueller matrix measuring system, such as air, dichroic samples, and birefringent samples, with different AOI conditions. It is demonstrated that the new calibration method can effectively eliminate the influence of AOI. After calibration, the maximum measurement error can be reduced to less than 0.02.

Calibration of a collinear backscattering Mueller matrix imaging system

“…Generally, a thin sample can be detected with a transmission Mueller matrix (TMM) imaging system [10], while a bulky sample which is highly scattering and depolarizing, is more appropriate for detection by a collinear backscattering Mueller matrix (CBMM) imaging system [11]. The calibration of a TMM system based on dual-rotating retarders is easy due to its simple optical system.…”