A division-of-focal-plane spectral-polarization imaging sensor

Abstract

Existing Division-of-Focal-Plane (DoFP) polarization sensors are capable of detecting intensity and polarization information but ignore spectral information. We present a novel integrated DoFP polarimeter that can simultaneously perceive spectral, polarization and intensity information with high spatial resolution at every frame. The sensor was realized by integrating aluminum nanowire polarization filters at the focal plane of an image sensor that has a vertically stacked photodiode structure in each pixel. The sensor has been optically characterized over a range of intensities, incident polarization angles and wavelengths. Results from the optoelectronic characterization as well as real-life spectral-polarization images obtained from the sensor are presented.