Single-shot Stokes polarimetry enabled by a digital micromirror device (1909.09764v1)

Abstract: Stokes polarimetry (SP) is a powerful technique that enables spatial reconstruction of the state of polarization (SoP) of a light beam using only intensity measurements. A given SoP is reconstructed from a set of four Stokes parameters, which are computed through four intensity measurements. Since all intensities must be performed on the same beam, it is common to record each intensity individually, one after the other, limiting its performance to light beams with static SoP. Here, we put forward a novel technique to extend SP to a broader set of light beams with dynamic SoP. This technique relies on the superposition principle, which enables the splitting of the input beam into identical copies, allowing the simultaneous measurement of all intensities. For this, the input beam is passed through a multiplexed digital hologram displayed on a polarization-insensitive Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) that grants independent and rapid (20 kHz) manipulation of each beam. We are able to reliably reconstruct the SoP with high fidelity and at speeds of up to 27 Hz, paving the way for real-time polarimetry of structured light