Fourier transform imaging spectropolarimeter using ferroelectric liquid crystals and Wollaston interferometer

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Spectroscopy
• Polarimetry

Background:

• Spectropolarimetric measurements require simultaneous acquisition of spatial, spectral, and polarization information.
• Existing methods often face limitations in speed, spectral resolution, or signal-to-noise ratio.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel time-division Fourier transform imaging spectropolarimeter (FTISP).
• To demonstrate its capability for fast and high-resolution spectropolarimetric measurements.

Main Methods:

• The FTISP utilizes two ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) as a polarization state analyzer (PSA) for rapid modulation of Stokes parameters.
• A Wollaston interferometer with a retroreflector is employed for high interference modulation and simplified optical alignment.
• Fourier transform recovery is applied to the polarized interferogram for data processing.

Main Results:

• Laboratory and outdoor experiments validated the FTISP's performance.
• The system achieved fast measurement speeds.
• High spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise ratios were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed FTISP shows significant promise for advanced spectropolarimetric applications.
• It offers a compelling combination of speed, spectral resolution, and signal quality.