System and method for characterizing polarimetric response of a remote sensing instrument

摘要

Measuring the polarimetric response of an optical instrument includes the steps of: emitting light along an optical axis; receiving the light through first and second polarizers; and detecting the light received through the first and second polarizers, using a filter and a detector. A first set of measurements is obtained by measuring the intensity of light received through the first and second polarizers. A second set of measurements is obtained by placing an optical instrument along the optical axis in lieu of the filter and detector; and measuring the intensity of light received through the first polarizer, after the second polarizer has been removed. A third set of measurements is obtained using the optical instrument but having the second polarizer replace the first polarizer. The optical instrument may be characterized using the first, second and third sets of measurements. The characterization is completed without having to know the extinction ratios and the transmittance parameters of the polarizers.

主权项

1. A method of calibrating a polarimeter comprising the steps of:
passing light through a first and a second polarizer disposed sequentially along an optical axis: measuring an intensity of light output from the second polarizer by a detector coupled to a data collection system; collecting the measured an intensity of light by a data collection system as first measured data: placing the polarimeter along the optical axis; removing the first polarizer from the optical axis; measuring an intensity of light output from the second polarizer, using the polarimeter coupled to a data collection system, after removing the first polarizer; collecting by the data collection system the intensity measured by the polarimeter as second measured data; replacing the second polarizer with the first polarizer along the optical axis; and measuring intensity of light output from the first polarizer after replacing the second polarizer with the first polarizer, using the polarimeter coupled to the data collection system; collecting by the data collection system the intensities measured by the polarimeter after replacing the second polarizer with the first polarizer as third measured data;using the first, second and third measured data to determine an extinction ratio of the polarimeter, calibrating the polarimeter;
calibrating the polarimeter based on the determined extinction ratio.