2021/02/11 by Brendan Mackey, Mackey, Brendan, Owen Sandner +17 · 1 voice
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Experimental Learning in Engineering #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det) #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic and Optical Devices #physics.ins-det #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2102.06114
openalex publication_date 2021/02/11 · arxiv published 2021/02/11 · arxiv updated 2025/08/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a portable polarimeter capable of real-time visualization of partial and fully polarized light over a broad band of wavelengths. Our system utilizes a Raspberry Pi computer with a low-cost data acquisition "HAT" (DAQ HAT) and an integrated photodetection circuit. Wide bandwidth operation is achieved through digital calibration of an arbitrary retardance waveplate presented herein. All mechanical, electrical, and software components are open source and available on a GitHub repository. This completely integrated approach provides an efficient tool for modern optics research laboratories and is well-suited for educational demonstrations.