Division of focal plane red–green–blue full-Stokes imaging polarimeter

Abstract

We calibrate and test a division-of-focal-plane red–green–blue (RGB) full-Stokes imaging polarimeter in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments. The polarimeter, acting as a polarization camera, utilizes a low dispersion microretarder array on top of a sensor with Bayer filters and wire-grid linear polarizers. We also present the design and fabrication of the microretarder array and the assembly of the camera and validate the performance of the camera by taking multiple RGB full-Stokes images and videos. Our camera has a small form factor due to its single-sensor design and the unique capability to measure the intensity, color, and polarization of an optical field in a single shot.