Invention:
This invention is a thin wire filament that can produce polarized thermal emission when heated. Using commercial off the shelf wire-grid elements, a polarized thermal source with an extended spatial profile can be fabricated. Such a well-characterized polarized source in the thermal infrared can be used for the verification, validation, and in-flight calibration of airborne and space-based thermal polarimeters.
Background:
Traditional calibration technologies for polarimeters use either a Sodium light source or a standard quartz crystal designed for the specific application.
Applications:
- Defense and aerospace
- Mobile communications networks
- Geographic Information Systems
- Engineering
Advantages:
- High level of consistency
- Uses commercial off the shelf elements
- Can be used in a variety of applications
