Calibration features of a polarimetric backscattering setup with a beamsplitter

TL;DR

This paper presents a calibration method for a polarimetric backscattering setup with a beamsplitter, emphasizing the importance of accounting for its optical properties to enhance measurement precision.

Contribution

It introduces a calibration approach that incorporates the beamsplitter's optical properties using Fisher information and maximum likelihood, validated through Monte Carlo simulations.

Findings

Calibration configuration improves measurement accuracy.

Treating the beamsplitter as part of the setup enhances precision.

Neglecting beamsplitter properties introduces significant errors.

Abstract

We address the problem of calibrating a polarimetric backscattering setup that includes a beamsplitter, taking its optical properties into account. Using Fisher information, we justify a specific calibration configuration involving reference optical elements for the maximum likelihood method and demonstrate its effectiveness through Monte Carlo simulations. This approach leads to higher precision, as the described set of measurements allows the beamsplitter to be treated as an integral part of the setup, without requiring separate processing or reconfiguration of the setup for the beamsplitter calibration. Furthermore, we emphasize the significance of considering the beamsplitter's optical properties by proposing a test to estimate the error that arises from neglecting these properties during the calibration procedure.