Polarization imaging performances based on different retrieving Mueller matrixes

Abstract

With the aids of Monte Carlo simulation, we have presented the performance evaluation for underwater polarization imaging based on the polarization retrieve (PR) algorithm. Under horizontal linearly polarized (HLP) light and right circularly polarized (RCP) light irradiation, the simulation results demonstrate that the corresponding polarization properties can provide additional information for the imaging, and the contrast of the polarization image can be enhanced greatly compared to the single intensity (INT) image underwater. The PR method is used for reducing the scattering impacts on degree of polarization (DoP) of the light, and the contrast of the PR imaging can be enhanced obviously compared to DoP imaging in clear ocean. Meanwhile, the modified PR (MPR) method with different retrieval Mueller matrixes (RMM) deriving from different distances (l) of transmission channel has been investigated, which show that the retrieval accuracy will be enhanced with increasing transmission distances of RMM and the visibility and contrast can be further enhanced.