High Speed Frequency Agile Polarization Imaging Systems

This proposal outlines a program to develop complete wavelength agile, Stokes polarization imaging systems. The effort is based on the spectacular success of the Phrase I effort of demonstrating the concept at a single pixel level, which will form thebasis of the two-dimensional imaging systems. Spectral-polarimetric imaging utilizes all three characteristics of light, intensity, wavelength, and polarization to add a new dimension to imaging by providing complete information about the image. Theproposed polarization based imaging systems is expected to significantly enhance the capabilities of object identification and differentiation, which will be very useful in target acquisition and identification particularly in difficult environments. Forexample, certain polarization states of light have been shown to be impervious to the effects of scattering by aerosols (smoke, fog, etc.). In addition, the light transmitted or reflected from an object has a polarization signature that offers means foridentification of the material characteristics of the target object (e.g., ice on a wing surface). The first year milestone is to develop a fast compact spectral polarimeter operating in the IR range, followed by a milestone of delivering a imagingspectral polarimetric system in the 3Q of the second year.