  We describe a new high-contrast imaging capability well suited for studying
planet-forming disks: near-infrared (NIR) high-contrast spectropolarimetric
imaging with the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) system
coupled with the Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spectrograph
(CHARIS) integral field spectrograph (IFS). The advent of extreme adaptive
optics (AO) systems, like SCExAO, has enabled recovery of planet-mass
companions at the expected locations of gas-giant formation in young disks
alongside disk structures (such as gaps or spirals) that may indicate
protoplanet formation. In combination with SCExAO, the CHARIS IFS in
polarimetry mode allows characterization of these systems at wavelengths
spanning the NIR J, H, and K bands ($1.1-2.4$ $\mu m$, $R\sim20$) and at
angular separations as small as 0.04". By comparing the resulting images with
forward-modeled scattered light or 3D radiative-transfer models, the likely
origins of any observed features can be assessed. Utilization of swift
optimization algorithms, such as differential evolution (DE), to identify model
parameters that best reproduce the observations allows plausible disk
geometries to be explored efficiently. The recent addition of CHARIS's unique
integral field spectropolarimetry mode has further facilitated the study of
planet-forming disks -- aiding in the confirmation of candidate protoplanets,
the diagnosis of disk structures, and the characterization of dust grain
populations. We summarize preliminary results for two young planet-forming disk
systems based on observations with the novel integral field spectropolarimetry
mode for SCExAO/CHARIS.
