Comparison of parameter estimation accuracy of distributed-target polarimetric calibration techniques

The accuracy with which distributed-target polarimetric calibration algorithms estimate crosstalk and the ratio of Tx-to-Rx channel imbalance is compared. The algorithms investigated are minor variants of previously-published algorithms but rederived for notational and definitional consistency. Numerical simulations were used to assess the algorithms´ performance in the absence of noise. Results indicate that the imbalance parameter is generally accurately-estimated but that crosstalk estimation accuracy varies greatly.