Fast full 4×4 Mueller polarimeter for endoscopic applications

摘要

A new set-up is proposed to measure the full polarimetric properties of a sample through an optical fiber, paving the way to foil-Mueller endoscopic imaging. The technique combines a channeled spectrum polarimeter and an interferometer. This permits high-speed measurement of two Mueller matrices simultaneoulsy. The first matrix characterizes only the fiber while the second characterizes both fiber and sample. The instrument is validated on vacuum, a quarter-wave plate and a linear polarizer for single-point measurements. Insensitivity of the polarimetric measurement to fiber disturbances is proven while manipulating the fiber.