10kS/s Broadband Polarization Analyzer
The Polarflash PF-9 universal polarimeter is an industry breakthrough in performance and price. It provides ten thousand polarization samples per second at the same cost as slow sequential polarimeters or at a fraction of parallel narrow-band polarimeters. It offers:
The Polarflash instrument uses four simultaneous channels
to acquire the four Stokes parameters and measure any arbitrary polarization.
The four channels are sampled with track and hold circuitry with less than
1 microsecond acquisition time. As a result, it performs measurements one
thousand times faster than single-channel polarimeters that mechanically
rotate a filter or waveplate.
The "circular-polarization" channel uses a wavelength independent
internal-reflection retarder instead of a birefringent plate, providing broad
wavelength coverage in the same detection head. It is a cost effective option
for labs working at many wavelengths. A user-friendly interface allows the
user to calibrate the instrument at his specific working wavelength.
It is the first instrument that allows polarization noise measurements without aliasing artifacts, polarization modulation studies, or transient and periodic data acquisition with external trigger synchronization.
Polarflash provides a complete set of real-time numerical and graphical displays. It plots the normalized state vector on a Poincare sphere that the user interactively rotates and makes solid or transparent. The user can also select the persistence of the trace and its width.
A simultaneous plot shows that State of Polarization (SOP) as the vectorial ellipse and the numerical value of its azimuth and ellipticity (selectable as a ratio or in degrees). The degree of total polarization (DOP), linear polarization (DLP), and circular polarization (DOC), as well as the Stokes parameters are displayed numerically and as bar-graphs.
Polarflash can also display the coherence matrix and extinction ratios.
Oscilloscope-type and chart-type graphs display the stokes and elliptical
parameters vs. time up to the full speed of the polarimeter.
Polarflash connects to any laptop or desktop computer running
Windows with a standard USB port, using a cable up to 5 meters (15 ft.)
long. There is no need to open the computer to install any cards. Data logging
is automatically performed and can be exported to popular programs such as
Microsoft Excel.
Polarflash can also display the coherence matrix and extinction ratios.
Oscilloscope-type and chart-type graphs display the stokes and elliptical
parameters vs. time up to the full speed of the polarimeter.
