Vortex Retarder Empowered Full-Stokes Parameter Measurement via Single-Shot RGB Color Imaging

Emerging applications in clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring require rapid and efficient multiwavelength polarization measurements. However, conventional systems face challenges of complexity, cost, and dynamic operation, primarily due to spectral dispersion elements and mechanical multiplexing. In this work, we present a compact polarimetric system that can obtain the full-Stokes parameters at three discrete wavelengths through single-shot RGB color imaging. The optical system has incorporated a vortex retarder (VR) with azimuthally varying birefringence that can map wavelength-dependent polarization states to chromatic spatial distributions of distinct angular patterns. These patterns can then be decoded without mechanical or dispersive optical elements, ensuring the compactness of our design. We have experimentally demonstrated high accuracy (<sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</small>% root mean square (rms) error) and rapid (50 ms) extraction of all Stokes components at three wavelengths of 633, 532, and 488 nm. The system’s scalability is further exemplified through measurements with comparable precision at two other wavelength triples (e.g., 660/580/500 nm). In principle, the Stokes parameters for any wavelength triple can be measured through our technique of single-shot RGB color imaging. The robustness of our approach against illumination nonuniformity and environmental noise is further confirmed through repeated measurements (standard deviation (SD) <0.<sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</small>%), verifying its applicability in complex resource-constrained and dynamic environments.