Hamdoh Alaa, Gao Yufei, Spires Oliver, Brock Neal, Jiang Linan, Pau Stanley
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
James C. Wyant College of Optical Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):22577. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-06757-5.
This study investigates the polarization properties of materials in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectrum using a compact division-of-focal-plane imaging polarimeter. The polarimeter is constructed by packaging a micro-polarizer array on top of an InGaAs sensor. Experiments conducted in both indoor and outdoor environments revealed unique transparency, absorption, and polarization behaviors across various materials. Transparent materials such as plastics, silicon, and black glass exhibited high SWIR transmission, allowing internal visualization, while opaque materials like aluminum, wood, and water demonstrated strong absorption. Polarization analysis identified strong linear polarization in birefringent materials and minimal polarization in isotropic ones, with elliptical or circular polarization arising from mechanisms like total internal reflection, complex refractive index, and birefringence. Outdoor observations showed the interaction of polarized skylights with reflective surfaces, enhancing contrast and revealing surface features. These findings underscore the potential of SWIR polarization imaging for applications in non-destructive testing, remote sensing, biomedical imaging, and optical communication.
本研究使用紧凑型焦平面分割成像偏振计研究材料在短波红外(SWIR)光谱中的偏振特性。该偏振计通过在铟镓砷(InGaAs)传感器顶部封装一个微偏振器阵列构建而成。在室内和室外环境中进行的实验揭示了各种材料独特的透明度、吸收和偏振行为。塑料、硅和黑色玻璃等透明材料表现出高SWIR透射率,允许进行内部可视化,而铝、木材和水等不透明材料则表现出强烈的吸收。偏振分析确定了双折射材料中的强线性偏振和各向同性材料中的最小偏振,椭圆偏振或圆偏振则由全内反射、复折射率和双折射等机制产生。户外观测显示了偏振天光与反射表面的相互作用,增强了对比度并揭示了表面特征。这些发现强调了SWIR偏振成像在无损检测、遥感、生物医学成像和光通信中的应用潜力。