Method of operating a polarization measuring device and polarization measuring device

A method of operating a polarization measuring device, comprising:

• passing light having a predetermined input polarization state to a sample for a potentially polarization changing interaction with the sample,
• passing the light from the sample through a polarization selective analyzer and at least partially to an intensity detector;
• within a framework of a polarization modulation, varying a relative angle between an output polarization state of the light emanating from the sample and the analyzer, and
• within a framework of a spectral modulation, varying a wavelength of the light reaching the intensity detector,
• using the intensity detector for successively performing a plurality of intensity measurements at different constellations of polarization and spectral modulation states and storing corresponding intensity values together with polarization and spectral values representing the corresponding constellation, and wherein
• the polarization modulation and the spectral modulation are performed simultaneously and continuously, the spectral modulation state is periodically varied a plurality of times during a single, monotonic variation of the polarization modulation state, and a plurality of successive intensity measurements are performed during each spectral modulation period (Tλ).