Image mapped spectropolarimetry

1. A method for imaging a sample, comprising:

during a single acquisition event:

receiving a plurality of polarization-encoded electromagnetic (EM) fields from a plurality of points on the sample comprising a first polarization-encoded EM field for a first point and a second polarization-encoded EM field for a second point;

redirecting the first polarization-encoded EM field along a first pre-determined direction to a first location on a dispersing re-imager and the second polarization-encoded EM field along a second pre-determined direction to a second location on the dispersing re-imager;

spectrally dispersing the first polarization-encoded EM field to obtain a first spectrum;

re-imaging the first spectrum onto a first location on a detector;

spectrally dispersing the second polarization-encoded EM field to obtain a second spectrum;

re-imaging the second spectrum onto a second location on the detector; and

detecting the first re-imaged spectrum and the second re-imaged spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polarization-encoded EM field comprises a plurality of EM fields emanating along a z-direction in the sample for the first point.

3. A system, comprising:

an image mapper configured to, during a single acquisition event:

receive a plurality of polarization-encoded electromagnetic (EM) fields from a plurality of points on a sample comprising a first polarization-encoded EM field for a first point and a second polarization-encoded EM field for a second point;

redirect the first polarization-encoded EM field along a first pre-determined angle to a first location on a dispersing re-imager and the second polarization-encoded EM field along a second pre-determined angle to a second location on the dispersing re-imager;

the dispersing re-imager configured to:

spectrally disperse the first polarization-encoded EM field to obtain a first spectrum;

re-image the first spectrum on to a first location on a detector;

spectrally disperse the second polarization-encoded EM field to obtain a second spectrum;

re-image the second spectrum on to a second location on the detector;

the detector configured to:

detect the first re-imaged spectrum and the second re-imaged spectrum.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a spectropolarimeter configured to generate the plurality of polarization-encoded EM fields and provide the plurality of polarization-encoded EM fields to the image mapper.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the spectropolarimeter comprises a first retarder and a second retarder, where a slow axis of the first retarder is oriented at a 45-degree angle relative to a slow axis of second retarder about an optical axis of the spectropolarimeter.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the spectropolarimeter further comprises a polarizer, wherein a transmission axis of the polarizer is parallel to a fast axis of the first retarder.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the image mapper is refractive.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the dispersing re-imager comprises an array of field of view correctors configured to receive the plurality of polarization-encoded EM fields from the image remapper and to shift each of the plurality of polarization-encoded EM fields to obtained a plurality of shifted polarization-encoded EM fields.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the dispersing re-imager further comprises an array of dispersive elements configured to receive the plurality of shifted polarization-encoded EM fields and to spectrally disperse each of the plurality of spectra comprising the first spectrum and the second spectrum.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the dispersing re-imager further comprises an array of reimaging lenses configured to the plurality of spectra and to re-image the plurality of spectra on to the detector.

11. The system of claim 3 , wherein the detector comprises a two-dimensional (2D) array of EM radiation detectors.

12. The system of claim 11 , the detector is a charged-couple device.