Alignment error analysis of the snapshot imaging polarimeter.

A snapshot imaging polarimeter (SIP) system is able to reconstruct two-dimensional spatial polarization information through a single interferogram. In this system, the alignment errors of the half-wave plate (HWP) and the analyzer have a predominant impact on the accuracies of reconstructed complete Stokes parameters. A theoretical model for analyzing the alignment errors in the SIP system is presented in this paper.