Identification

Title

Wavelength-diverse polarization modulators for Stokes polarimetry

Abstract

Information about the three-dimensional structure of solar magnetic fields is encoded in the polarized spectra of solar radiation by a host of physical processes. To extract this information, solar spectra must be obtained in a variety of magnetically sensitive spectral lines at high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution with high precision. The need to observe many different spectral lines drives the development of Stokes polarimeters with a high degree of wavelength diversity. We present a new paradigm for the design of polarization modulators that operate over a wide wavelength range with near optimal polarimetric efficiency and are directly applicable to the next generation of multi-line Stokes polarimeters. These modulators are not achromatic in the usual sense because their polarimetric properties vary with wavelength, but they do so in an optimal way. Thus we refer to these modulators as polychromatic. We present here the theory behind polychromatic modulators, illustrate the concept with design examples, and present the performance properties of a prototype polychromatic modulator.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d73n23tc

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

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geoscientificInformation

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title

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reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

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date type

publication

effective date

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

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Copyright 2010 Optical Society of America. This paper was published in Applied Optics and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/abstract.cfm?URI=ao-49-18-3580. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

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