Influence of second-order reflections during polarimetric calibration with two wire-grid polarizers

Abstract

Abstract. In polarimetric instruments, it is often necessary to characterize the polarimetric dependence at various polarization states. Frequently, this is done by placing a polarizer between the instrument and light source. Certain polarizer materials (e.g., wire grids as opposed to polymer-based materials) tend to reflect a significant amount of light, which can cause second-order reflections in the region between the two polarizers. We characterize the reflections using Jones calculus and discuss their significance for polarization instruments.