Signal-to-noise analysis of Stokes parameters in division of focal plane polarimeters

An analysis of the temporal noise in the Stokes parameters computed by division of focal plane polarimeters is presented. Theoretical estimations of the Stokes parameter signal-to-noise ratios for CCD polarization imaging sensors with both 4-polarizer and 2-polarizer micropolarization filter arrays are derived. The theoretical derivation is verified with measurements from an integrated polarization imaging sensor composed of a CCD imaging array and aluminum nanowire polarization filters. The measured data obtained from the CCD polarimeters matches the theoretical derivations of the temporal noise model of the Stokes parameters. (c) 2010 Optical Society of America