Design and testing of an active polarization imager at SWIR wavelengths for imaging in highly scattering environments (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Heavy fogs and other highly scattering environments pose a challenge for many commercial and national security sensing systems. Current autonomous systems rely on a range of optical sensors for guidance and remote sensing that can be degraded by highly scattering environments. In our previous and on-going simulation work, we have shown polarized light can increase signal or range through a scattering environment such as fog. Specifically, we have shown circularly polarized light maintains its polarized signal through a larger number of scattering events and thus range, better than linearly polarized light. In this work we present an active polarization imager in the short-wave infrared. We explore multiple polarimetric configurations for the imager, focusing on linear and circular polarization states. We also describe initial testing of the imager in the Sandia Fog Facility. The Sandia Fog Facility is a 180 ft. by 10 ft. chamber that can create fog-like conditions for optical testing. This facility offers a repeatable fog scattering environment ideally suited to test the imager’s performance in fog conditions.