Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 14: Poster Session II

BP 14.40: Poster

Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 18:00–21:00, P2

Construction of Mueller Matrix Polarimeter with a Polarization Camera — •Kathrin Rott — Georg August Universität, Göttingen, Deutschland

A Mueller matrix polarimeter based on a division-of-focal-plane polarization camera has been developed for microscopy. The setup enables spatially resolved measurements of Mueller matrix elements in a single image acquisition, allowing the extraction of polarization parameters such as retardance, diattenuation and depolarization. The setup includes a polarization state generator (PSG) consisting of a linear polarizer and a rotating compensator, and a polarization state analyzer (PSA) implemented through the micro-polarizer array of the camera. This design allows fast measurement of Mueller matrix images with micrometer-scale resolution. Initial work focused on characterizing the camera, including calibration of nonlinear response, sensor homogeneity, polarization angle accuracy and pixelwise extinction ratio. The aim is to enable label-free imaging of biological cell cultures and to investigate whether polarization-based contrast can provide information about microstructures such as the cytoskeleton or nucleus. Unlike tissue samples, which typically exhibit polarization effects, the focus here lies on exploring polarization contrast in single cells. The project combines optical component development with a potential biophysical application and forms the basis for further studies on polarization contrast in cell culture imaging.

Keywords: Polarimetry; Mueller matrix imaging; Microscopy; Cell cultures; Label-free imaging