Portable Real-Time Polarimeter for Partially and Fully Polarized Light

TL;DR

This paper introduces a portable, real-time polarimeter using a Raspberry Pi and open-source components, capable of analyzing partially and fully polarized light across a broad wavelength range.

Contribution

The authors develop a low-cost, portable polarimeter with digital calibration and open-source design, enabling accessible and real-time polarization measurements.

Findings

Operates in real-time for broad wavelength range

Uses digital calibration for arbitrary waveplate retardance

Open-source hardware and software for accessibility

Abstract

We present a portable polarimeter capable of real-time visualization of partial and fully polarized light over a broad band of wavelengths. Our system utilizes a Raspberry Pi computer with a low-cost data acquisition "HAT" (DAQ HAT) and an integrated photodetection circuit. Wide bandwidth operation is achieved through digital calibration of an arbitrary retardance waveplate presented herein. All mechanical, electrical, and software components are open source and available on a GitHub repository. This completely integrated approach provides an efficient tool for modern optics research laboratories and is well-suited for educational demonstrations.