Characterization of a visible spectrum division-of-focal-plane polarimeter.

The development of high resolution division-of-focal-plane polarimeters in the visible spectrum allows real-time capture of two chief properties of interest, the degree of linear polarization and the angle of polarization. The accuracy of these two parameters can be influenced by a number of factors in the imaged scene, from the incident intensity and wavelength to the lens used for image capture. The alignment, transmission, and contrast ratios of the pixel matched filters also impact the measured parameters. A system of measurements is presented here that shows how these factors can determine the quality of a division-of-focal-plane polarimeter.