We present numerical results of the simulation of the polarimetric response of microscopic, semitransparent specimens immersed in water. The polarimetric response observed in our simulations comes from the shape and structure of the observed specimens, rather than from intrinsic polarization properties of the material out of which they are made. We discuss the computational methods used to perform the simulations, which consist of four stages (scattering, propagation from the specimen to the microscope objective, propagation through a polarimeter, and focusing onto the detector), as well as the feasibility of measuring the simulated polarimetric response of the specimens using a well-calibrated polarimetric microscope. As part of our analysis, we discuss some technical limitations of the equipment available in our group to build a polarimetric microscope and some limitations of the calibration method that we use, namely: the eigenvalue calibration method.
|