Fundamental limits to coronagraphic wavefront correction with pairwise-type estimation in the presence of polarization aberrations

Polarization-dependent aberrations, or polarization aberrations, arise in optical systems due to diattenuation and retardance effects induced by optical surfaces along the beam path. In exoplanet coronagraphy, polarization aberrations fundamentally limit imaging performance at small angular separations, and must be carefully analyzed for extremely high-contrast systems such as NASA's planned Habitable Worlds Observatory. In this paper, we derive a method for calculating the theoretical bound for coronagraph performance in the presence of polarization aberrations after correction by the coronagraph's deformable mirrors, and confirm via simulations that it bounds actual wavefront control loop performance. Due to its simplicity and computational efficiency, this method is highly useful for rapid analysis of telescope and coronagraph designs during concept development.