Abstract: The subject of the invention is a polarimetric imaging system exhibiting an optical axis, and comprising means (35) for the detection and analysis of the light backscattered by an object illuminated by a light source and at least one programmable waveplate (33), wherein the programmable waveplate comprises a material with an isotropic electrooptic tensor and a set of at least three electrodes disposed along the directions parallel to the optical axis of the imaging system.

Abstract: A laser source comprises N incident laser beams, N equal to two at least, N single-mode spatial beam propagation media, each forming a propagation channel (gi) for one laser beam, a system for coherent recombination at the exit of the N channels, in order to deliver a recombined laser beam (fR) at the exit, and a phase control device (D) comprising N programmable phase-shifter elements (di) under closed-loop feedback control, one at the entry of each channel (gi). The source also comprises a polarization control device (P) comprising N programmable polarization controllers (pi) under closed-loop feedback control, one per channel, each controller being disposed between the associated phase-shifter element and channel.