Active infrared polarimetric imaging demonstrator by orthogonality breaking sensing

We report the design of a free-space active infrared polarimetric imaging demonstrator operating at 1.55 μm and based on a non-conventional approach: the orthogonality breaking sensing technique. Relying on the illumination of a scene with a specific light source, the imager offers an original tradeoff between image acquisition time (~ 1 s) and polarimetric consistency in comparison to standard polarimetric imagers such as division of time or division of amplitude systems. We will illustrate the capability of such an imager to enhance the visibility of hidden objects on homemade scenes.