Imaging polarimeters for optical metrology

In this paper we describe two configurations of imaging polarimeters designed for polarimetric optical metrology. The first is a Stokes imaging polarimeter which measures the polarization response of optical systems to spherical or planar waves of known polarization. The output is images of the degree of polarization, orientation and eccentricity of polarization ellipses, or Stokes parameters displayed as a function of either the exit pupil or image coordinate of the optical system. The second configuration is a Mueller imaging polarimeter which measures the Mueller matrix of an optical system on a ray by ray basis. Calibration issues involved in building these instruments are addressed along with a brief discussion on polarization aberration mechanisms.