Design of an LWIR snapshot Imaging spectropolarimeter

This paper covers the design and construction of a snapshot imaging spectropolarimeter for use in the long wave infrared, 8 to 12 micron region. This imaging device is unique in the fact that system is nonscanning, contains no moving parts, and in a single integration period is able to record spectral data as well as the polarization state as a function of wavelength from every spatial location in a 21) image. The system is based on the Computed Tomographic Imaging Spectrometer, commonly referred to as CTIS, and has been modified to incorporate components of Channeled Spectropolarimetry. The paper presents an overview of how both the CTIS and the CTICS (Computed Tomographic Imaging Channeled Spectropolarimeter) systems work, details on the specific components used in the LWIR system, and preliminary results from a completed LWIR CTIS system, which is the first of its kind.