Innovative integrated numerical-experimental method for high-performance multispectral Mueller polarimeters based on...

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Biomedical Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mueller polarimetry is crucial for analyzing light-matter interactions.
• Developing high-performance, multispectral polarimeters is essential for advanced applications.
• Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) offer unique electro-optic properties for polarimeter design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate an integrated numerical-experimental approach for constructing a multispectral Mueller polarimeter.
• To optimize the polarimeter's performance within the 450-700 nm spectral range.
• To assess the system's robustness and measurement accuracy for potential biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Experimental characterization of selected optical components.
• Numerical optimization using a global optimization function.
• Construction and testing of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC)-based Mueller polarimeter in transmission configuration.

Main Results:

• A high-performance multispectral Mueller polarimeter operating from 450 to 700 nm was successfully built.
• The system demonstrated robustness against optical component misalignments.
• Measurement errors were experimentally determined to be less than 1% across the spectral range.

Conclusions:

• The integrated numerical-experimental strategy is effective for designing optimized multispectral Mueller polarimetric systems.
• The developed FLC-based polarimeter is well-suited for biomedical applications requiring precise detection of small polarization variations.
• This approach facilitates the creation of advanced Mueller polarimeters for sensitive optical measurements.