Development of a Two Color Polarimetric Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Camera System

Dual MWIR/LWIR polarization imaging holds promise for providing significant improvements in contrast in a number of target detection and discrimination applications. In several recent development efforts, it has been demonstrated that manmade objects have a significantly stronger polarization signal than natural backgrounds resulting in good contrast that complements the conventionally imaged infrared signature. Significant data has been collected in the MWIR and LWIR portions of the spectra and each waveband has merits and drawbacks over the other waveband. Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc in a phase I effort designed a two color MWIR/LWIR wide format (860x480 pixel) imaging polarimeter. The system will collect simultaneous spatially and temporally coherent images of polarization in the MWIR and LWIR. In a single frame period, it collects four images: two polarized MWIR images and two polarized LWIR images. The system can alternately collect s1 or s2 Stokes images at 120 frames per second, or s1 and s2 at 60 frames per second. The system is designed utilizing COTS optical components, polarization optics and FPAs. All of the subsystems and components were demonstrated in Phase I and because of the Phase I work, the Phase II build/calibrate/test effort is considered very low risk.