Takahashi, Yuki D.Barkats, DenisBattle, John O.Bierman, Evan M.Bock, James J.Chiang, H. CynthiaDowell, C. DarrenHivon, Eric F.Holzapfel, William L.Hristov, Viktor V.Jones, William C.Kaufman, J. P.Keating, Brian G.Kovac, JohnKuo, Chao-LinLange, Andrew E.Leitch, Erik M.Mason, Peter V.Matsumura, TomotakeNguyen, Hien T.Ponthieu, NicolasRocha, Graca M.Yoon, Ki WonAde, P.Duband, L.2016-04-122016-04-12Takahashi, Yuki D., Denis Barkats, John O. Battle, Evan M. Bierman, James J. Bock, H. Cynthia Chiang, C. Darren Dowell et al. 2008. "CMB polarimetry with BICEP: instrument characterization, calibration, and performance." In SPIE Astronomical Telescopes+ Instrumentation 70201D. International Society for Optics and Photonics.0277-786Xhttp://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:26523048Bicep is a ground-based millimeter-wave bolometric array designed to target the primordial gravity wave signature on the B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at degree angular scales. Currently in its third year of operation at the South Pole, Bicep is measuring the CMB polarization with unprecedented sensitivity at 100 and 150 GHz in the cleanest available 2% of the sky, as well as deriving independent constraints on the diffuse polarized foregrounds with select observations on and off the Galactic plane. Instrument calibrations are discussed in the context of rigorous control of systematic errors, and the performance during the first two years of the experiment is reviewed.en-USConference Paper2016-04-1210.1117/12.790306