Fast and optimal broad-band Stokes/Mueller polarimeter design by the use of a genetic algorithm
Abstract
A fast multichannel Stokes/Mueller polarimeter with no mechanically moving parts has been designed to have close to optimal performance from 430-2000 nm by applying a genetic algorithm. Stokes (Mueller) polarimeters are characterized by their ability to analyze the full Stokes (Mueller) vector (matrix) of the incident light. This ability is characterized by the condition number, , which directly influences the measurement noise in polarimetric measurements. Due to the spectral dependence of the retardance in birefringent materials, it is not trivial to design a polarimeter using dispersive components. We present here both a method to do this optimization using a genetic algorithm, as well as simulation results. Our results include fast, broad-band polarimeter designs for spectrographic use, based on 2 and 3 Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals, whose material properties are taken from measured values. The results promise to reduce the measurement noise significantly over previous designs, up to a factor of 4.5 for a Mueller polarimeter, in addition to extending the spectral range.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1009.1821,
title = {Fast and optimal broad-band Stokes/Mueller polarimeter design by the use of a genetic algorithm},
author = {Paul Anton Letnes and Ingar Stian Nerbø and Lars Martin Sandvik Aas and Pål Gunnar Ellingsen and Morten Kildemo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.1821},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Optics Express