偏振是光的固有特性之一。 地球表面和大气中的任何目标物在与光相互作用的过程中, 由于目标物的表面结构、 内部结构以及光入射的角度不同, 都会产生其自身性质决定的特征偏振。 而偏振遥感探测就是以目标物辐射能量的偏振特征作为探测信息, 可以在复杂的背景中提取目标的七维信息并很好地分辨目标物上低反射区域和目标轮廓, 解决了传统遥感所不能解决的大气探测和伪装识别方面的问题, 具有良好的应用前景。 文章介绍了偏振遥感遥测的机理, 详细阐述了偏振探测的理论模拟、 偏振遥感探测仪以及偏振遥感探测技术在大气探测、 地球资源探测、 海洋表面与水下探测、 生物医学、 天文探测、 **等领域应用的国内外研究概况、 水平和发展趋势, 归纳了目前存在的问题, 并指出目前国内外偏振探测技术的研究方向, 以期为后续的同类研究提供参考

Polarization is one of the inherent characteristics. Because the surface of the target structure, internal structure, and the angle of incident light are different, the earth’s surface and any target in atmosphere under optical interaction process will have their own characteristic nature of polarization. Polarimetric characteristics of radiation energy from the targets are used in polarization remote sensing detection as detective information. Polarization remote sensing detection can get the seven-dimensional information of targets in complicated backgrounds, detect well-resolved outline of targets and low-reflectance region of objectives, and resolve the problems of atmospheric detection and identification camouflage detection which the traditional remote sensing detection can not solve, having good foreground in applications. This paper introduces the development of polarization information in the remote sensing detection from the following four aspects. The rationale of polarization remote sensing detection is the base of polarization remote sensing detection, so it is firstly introduced. Secondly, the present researches on equipments that are used in polarization remote sensing detection are particularly and completely expatiated. Thirdly, the present exploration of theoretical simulation of polarization remote sensing detection is well detailed. Finally, the authors present the applications research home and abroad of the polarization remote sensing detection technique in the fields of remote sensing, atmospheric sounding, sea surface and underwater detection, biology and medical diagnosis, astronomical observation and military, summing up the current problems in polarization remote sensing detection. The development trend of polarization remote sensing detection technology in the future is pointed out in order to provide a reference for similar studies.