Estimating index of refraction from polarimetric hyperspectral imaging measurements

Opt Express. 2016 Aug 8;24(16):17928-40. doi: 10.1364/OE.24.017928.

Abstract

Current material identification techniques rely on estimating reflectivity or emissivity which vary with viewing angle. As off-nadir remote sensing platforms become increasingly prevalent, techniques robust to changing viewing geometries are desired. A technique leveraging polarimetric hyperspectral imaging (P-HSI), to estimate complex index of refraction, N̂(ν̃), an inherent material property, is presented. The imaginary component of N̂(ν̃) is modeled using a small number of "knot" points and interpolation at in-between frequencies ν̃. The real component is derived via the Kramers-Kronig relationship. P-HSI measurements of blackbody radiation scattered off of a smooth quartz window show that N̂(ν̃) can be retrieved to within 0.08 RMS error between 875 cm-1 ≤ ν̃ ≤ 1250 cm-1. P-HSI emission measurements of a heated smooth Pyrex beaker also enable successful N̂(ν̃) estimates, which are also invariant to object temperature.