Active multiple-color imaging polarimetry

• US 7,072,039 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neff, Benjamin R., Dobbs, Michael E., Pruitt, Jeff D., Gypson, Matthew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US10/644,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 356364-370
• US Class Current: 356/364
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/447 Polarisation spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1757 Time modulation of light being essential to the method of light modification, e.g. using single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0691 Modulated (not pulsed supply)

Abstract

Remotely sensing a target may include generating a first beam of optical radiation that is modulated at a first frequency and polarized at a first polarization. A second beam of optical radiation that is modulated at a second frequency and polarized at a second polarization may also be generated. The first and second beams of optical radiation may be transmitted to the target. Radiation at the first polarization and radiation at the second polarization may be detected from the target using a phase sensitive technique and the first and second frequencies.

Claims

1. A system for remotely imaging a sample, using optical radiation reflected/scattered from the sample, comprising:

a first source configured to emit first optical radiation with a first polarization and that varies at a first frequency;

a second source configured to emit second optical radiation with a second polarization and that varies at a second frequency;

a focal planar array (FPA) configured to detect the first and second optical radiation after interaction with the sample and generate a single detection signal;

a first lock-in amplifier configured to process the single detection signal based on the first frequency to produce a first output signal; and

a second lock-in amplifier configured to process the single detection signal based on the second frequency to produce a second output signal,

wherein the FPA detects the first and second optical radiation free-of image mis-registration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first source includes:

a laser configured to emit radiation,

a modulator configured to modulate the radiation at the first frequency, and

a polarizer configured to impart the first polarization to the radiation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second source includes:

a laser configured to emit radiation,

a modulator configured to modulate the radiation at the second frequency, and

a polarizer configured to impart the second polarization to the radiation.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third source configured to emit third optical radiation with a third polarization and that varies at a third frequency; and

a third lock-in amplifier configured to process the detection signal based on the third frequency to produce a third output signal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor configured to process the first output signal and the second output signal to obtain polarization information relating to the sample.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a reference source configured to emit optical radiation that varies at a reference frequency; and

a reference lock-in amplifier configured to process the detection signal based on the reference frequency to produce a reference output signal,

wherein the processor is configured to divide the first output signal and the second output signal by the reference output signal.

7. A method of remotely imaging a sample, using optical radiation reflected/scattered from the sample, comprising:

transmitting a first beam of optical radiation toward the sample, the first beam having a first polarization and an amplitude varying at a first frequency;

transmitting a second beam of optical radiation toward the sample, the second beam having a second polarization different from the first polarization and an amplitude varying at a second frequency different from the first frequency;

detecting, using a FPA, the first and second beams of optical radiation after interaction with the sample to produce a detection signal, wherein the first and second beams of optical radiation are detected by the FPA free-of image mis-registration;

determining a first portion of the detection signal that is present at the first frequency;

determining a second portion of the detection signal that is present at the second frequency; and

obtaining polarization information about the sample based on the first portion of the detection signal and the second portion of the detection signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating first optical radiation;

modulating the first optical radiation at the first frequency to obtain modulated radiation; and

polarizing the modulated radiation to obtain the first beam of optical radiation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

amplifying the modulated radiation before the polarizing.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining a first portion of the detection signal uses a lock-in technique and a reference signal at the first frequency, and

wherein the determining a second portion of the detection signal uses the lock-in technique and the reference signal at the second frequency.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the polarization information about the sample includes optical power from the sample at the first polarization and optical power from the sample at the second polarization.

12. A system for remotely imaging a sample, using optical radiation reflected/scattered from the sample, comprising:

a plurality of sources configured to emit optical radiation, each one of the plurality of sources being configured to emit radiation at a different frequency and a different polarization from other ones of the plurality of sources;

a single FPA configured to detect the optical radiation from the plurality of sources after interaction with the sample and generate a detection signal wherein the plurality of sources are detected by the FPA free-of image mis-registration; and

a plurality of lock-in amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of sources and respectively configured to generate components of the detection signal that are present at the different frequencies,

wherein the components of the detection signal correspond to radiation from the sample at the different polarizations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sources includes at least four sources, and

wherein the plurality of lock-in amplifiers includes at least four corresponding lock-in amplifies.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the components of the detection signal include a plurality of images at the different polarizations.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a reference source configured to emit unpolarized optical radiation at a reference frequency that is different from the different frequencies of the plurality of sources; and

a reference lock-in amplifier configured to generate a reference component of the detection signal that is present at the reference frequency.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a processor configured to normalize the components of the detection signal that are present at the different frequencies based on the reference component of the detection signal that is present at the reference frequency.

17. A method of remotely imaging a target using optical radiation reflected/scattered from the target, comprising:

generating a first beam of optical radiation that is modulated at a first frequency and polarized at a first polarization;

generating a second beam of optical radiation that is modulated at a second frequency and polarized at a second polarization;

transmitting the first and second beams of optical radiation to the target; and

detecting, free-of image mis-registration on an FPA, radiation at the first polarization and radiation at the second polarization from the target using a phase sensitive technique and the first and second frequencies.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the detecting includes:

converting optical radiation into an electrical detection signal,

performing the phase sensitive technique on the electrical detection signal using the first frequency to detect the radiation at the first polarization, and

performing the phase sensitive technique on the electrical detection signal using the second frequency to detect the radiation at the second polarization.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating a first beam includes:

emitting first optical radiation;

modulating the first optical radiation at the first frequency to obtain modulated radiation; and

polarizing the modulated radiation at the first polarization to obtain the first beam of optical radiation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating a second beam includes:

emitting second optical radiation;

modulating the second optical radiation at the second frequency to obtain modulated radiation; and

polarizing the modulated radiation at the second polarization to obtain the second beam of optical radiation.