Eigenvalue calibration method for dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix polarimetry

Dual rotating-compensator Mueller matrix polarimetry (DRC-MMP) has achieved wide spread applications in material characterization, nano-scale measurement, and biomedical diagnostics. However, the traditional calibration method for DRC-MMP relies on establishing an accurate system model, making its implementation cumbersome, especially in the presence of polarizing components that are to complex to be modeled. We propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, eigenvalue calibration method for DRC-MMP without system modeling. Two specific basis vectors are introduced in order to transform the continuously modulated light intensity in DRC-MMP into a 5×5 projection matrix. Eigenvalue analysis is then performed based on the light intensity projection matrix to obtain the modulation matrix and the analysis matrix associated with the polarization state generator and the polarization state analyzer, respectively. The method is applied for DRC-MMP in both single-pass and double-pass setups. The experimental results have verified the proposed calibration method.