Generalizing a quantum-well infrared single-pixel polarimeter (QWISPP) to Fourier transform spectral-polarimetric imaging

Mario A. Serna; Dustin W. McCauley

doi:10.1117/12.561698

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4 November 2004 Generalizing a quantum-well infrared single-pixel polarimeter (QWISPP) to Fourier transform spectral-polarimetric imaging

Mario A. Serna, Dustin W. McCauley

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Proceedings Volume 5543, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing XII; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.561698
Event: Optical Science and Technology, the SPIE 49th Annual Meeting, 2004, Denver, Colorado, United States

Abstract

At previous SPIE meetings, we reported on an optoelectronic device that measures the complete polarization state of incident infrared light in a single pixel and in a single frame for a narrow wavelength band (δλ<0.05 μm). Using at least four quantum-well stacks and four linear gratings, each stacked alternating above the other, the device uses the interference among light paths to create a distinct pattern of photocurrents at each quantum-well stack coding for a specific polarization. In this paper, we will model the performance of this device, a quantum-well infrared single-pixel polarimeter (QWISPP), in the setting of a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imager. We model one column of QWISPP pixels detecting an inferferogram. Using an FTIR with randomly varying QWIsPP pixels to detect the interferogram, we discovered a technique that allows an 100x improvement in measured spectral-polarization uncertainty compared to the use of identical QWISPP pixels in an FTIR or grating spectrometer. The technique also enables a 15x improvement in the uniformity of the error across a sample spectrum. In other words, we turn into an advantage the imperfections in fabricating an FPA of QWISPPs.

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Mario A. Serna and Dustin W. McCauley "Generalizing a quantum-well infrared single-pixel polarimeter (QWISPP) to Fourier transform spectral-polarimetric imaging", Proc. SPIE 5543, Infrared Spaceborne Remote Sensing XII, (4 November 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.561698

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