Model-free self-calibration based high-speed spectrally encoded Mueller matrix polarimetry

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Metrology
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Spectrally encoded Mueller matrix polarimeters (MMP) suffer from measurement inaccuracies due to optical component errors and noise.
• Conventional calibration methods require complex external systems or component-specific calibration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a model-free self-calibration and reconstruction method for the system modulation matrix in MMP.
• To improve the accuracy and speed of Mueller matrix measurements without complex calibration procedures.

Main Methods:

• A nonlinear optimization problem is formulated to determine the modulation matrix using 28 standard samples.
• A differential evolution algorithm solves the optimization problem, directly estimating the system modulation matrix.
• Mueller matrices are reconstructed using a linear operator approach based on the determined modulation matrix.

Main Results:

• The proposed method achieves a single-shot measurement time of 92 ns with a fast measurement system.
• Average root mean square errors (RMSE) for reconstructed Mueller matrices are 0.038 (static) and 0.048 (dynamic).
• Performance surpasses conventional Fourier-domain and dual rotating retarder calibration methods.

Conclusions:

• The method offers conceptual simplicity and improved noise immunity for MMP systems.
• It eliminates the need for equally spaced wavenumber sampling and external calibration references.
• Provides an effective self-calibration solution for high-speed, high-precision spectrally encoded MMP.