Calibration of polarization-state generators (PSG's), polarimeters, and Mueller-matrix ellipsometers (MME's) is an important factor in the practical use of these instruments. A new general procedure, the eigenvalue calibration method (ECM), is presented. It can calibrate any complete MME consisting of a PSG and a polarimeter that generate and measure, respectively, all the states of polarization of light. In the ECM, the PSG and the polarimeter are described by two 4 x 4 matrices W and A, and their 32 coefficients are determined from three or four measurements performed on reference samples. Those references are smooth isotropic samples and perfect linear polarizers. Their optical characteristics are unambiguously determined during the calibration from the eigenvalues of the measured matrices. The ECM does not require accurate alignment of the various optical elements and does not involve any first-order approximation. The ECM also displays an efficient error control capability that can be used to improve the MME behavior. The ECM is illustrated by an experimental calibration, at two wavelengths (458 and 633 nm), of a MME consisting of a coupled phase modulator associated with a prism division-of-amplitude polarimeter.

A broadband division-of-amplitude polarimeter (DOAP) is presented. It can provide the real-time measurement of any state of polarization of light, described by its Stokes vector, in large spectral windows. The light is split first into two beams by a prism and then into four beams by means of any polarizer device that will separate the two linear orthogonal states of polarization. Finally, the Stokes vector is directly deduced from the four measured intensities. To avoid interference effects, the splitting of light into four beams is induced only by refractive-index contrast effects between semi-infinite media that are weakly dependent on the wavelength. An experimental setup working from 0.4 to 2 mum is described. It provides similar sensitivities for all the states of polarization, and its characteristics are constant, on a scale of a few percent, within the spectral window. Calibrations performed at 458 and 633 nm display good agreement between theoretical and experimental values. The accuracy of the prism DOAP, evaluated by measurement of the Stokes vector produced by a rotating Glan polarizer, is better than 1%. An infrared extension of this polarimeter is also presented.