Staring MWIR, LWIR and 2-color and scanning LWIR polarimetry technology

Abstract

Polarimetry sensor development has been in work for some time to determine the best use of polarimetry to differentiate between manmade objects and objects made by nature. Both MWIR and LWIR and 2-color staring Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) and LWIR scanning FPAs have been built at Raytheon Vision Systems each with exceedingly higher performance. This paper presents polarimetric performance comparisons between staring 2562 MWIR, 2562 LWIR, 5122 LWIR/LWIR staring FPAs and scanning LWIR FPAs. LWIR polarimetry has the largest polarimetric signal level and a larger emissive polarimetric signature than MWIR which makes LWIR less dependent on sun angles. Polished angled glass and metal objects are easily detected using LWIR polarimetry. While single band 9-11 um LWIR polarimetry has advantages adding another band between 3 and 7 um improves the capability of the sensor for polarization and spectral phenomenology. In addition the 3-7 um band has improved NEDT over the 9-11 um band due to the shorter detector cutoff reducing the Noise Equivalent Degree of Linear Polarization. (NEDOLP). To gain acceptance polarimetric sensors must provide intelligence signatures that are better than existing nonpolarimetric Infrared sensors. This paper shows analysis indicating the importance of NEDOLP and Extinction ratios.