Optimized Mueller polarimeter with liquid crystals.
We demonstrate a Mueller polarimeter in which the polarization-state generator and analyzer are both composed of a linear polarizer and two liquid-crystal variable retarders. The polarimeter is designed to optimize the accuracy of the final results by minimization of the condition numbers of the modulation and analysis matrices. The polarimeter calibration, a difficult task by conventional procedures, is achieved easily by use of the eigenvalue method of Compain et al. [Appl. Opt. 38, 3490 (1999)]. The overall polarimeter performance is tested with a linear polarizer at various angles and a compensator at various retardations.
De Martino
Antonello
A
Laboratorie de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7647, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France. martino@leonardo.polytechnique.fr
Kim
Yong-Ki
YK
Garcia-Caurel
Enric
E
Laude
Blandine
B
Drévillon
Bernard
B