Fast and high-accuracy collinear reflection Mueller imaging polarimeter implemented with the compound calibration...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Materials Science

Background:

• Characterizing thick, highly scattering samples like biological tissues requires fast and accurate polarization measurements.
• Existing methods face challenges in achieving both speed and precision, leading to potential artifacts in imaging polarimetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fast collinear reflection imaging polarimeter (LCVRs-CRMMIP) for precise polarization characterization of biological samples.
• To introduce a novel compound calibration method (CCM) to enhance measurement accuracy and overcome limitations of previous techniques.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a collinear reflection imaging polarimeter utilizing liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs).
• Development and application of a novel compound calibration method (CCM) involving light intensity correction and an improved equivalent calibration sample model.
• Comparison of CCM performance against the double-pass eigenvalue calibration method (dp-ECM).

Main Results:

• The LCVRs-CRMMIP system achieved rapid measurements in approximately 3 seconds.
• The novel CCM demonstrated a significant enhancement in measurement accuracy, exceeding the dp-ECM by over 23 times.
• Experimental validation with standard optical components showed high accuracy with measurement errors below 0.0017.

Conclusions:

• The developed LCVRs-CRMMIP with CCM offers a highly accurate and fast solution for polarization imaging of scattering samples.
• This advancement is crucial for reliable in-situ analysis of biological tissues and organs, minimizing artifacts.
• The proposed calibration method represents a significant improvement in Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry.