Depth-sensitive instrument for Mueller matrix imaging measurements

Abstract

We present an optical imaging approach that combines Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) and MuellerMatrix Imaging (MMI) to enable depth-resolved characterization of polarization properties in turbid media. Bysimultaneously exploiting the spatial selectivity of SFDI and the sensitivity of Mueller polarimetry to microstructuralanisotropy, our method provides complementary contrast mechanisms that reflect both the layered structureand polarization-dependent behaviour of complex samples. Spatially modulated illumination at multiple frequenciesis used to control the sampling depth, while full Mueller matrix measurements are performed at eachfrequency to capture the evolution of polarization as a function of depth. Experimental results in phantoms andbiological tissue demonstrate the potential of this dual-mode technique to distinguish subsurface polarizationfeatures that would otherwise remain obscured in conventional imaging. This integrated approach opens new possibilitiesfor applications requiring non-invasive, depth-sensitive analysis of anisotropic or scattering structures,such as biomedical diagnostics or material characterization.