Abstract

This paper reports the development of an interferometric technique for studying the dynamics of the appearance and relaxation of the refractive-index variation of optical glasses, produced when intense light acts on them. The technique is based on the use of a cyclic shearing interferometer. The rationale for choosing this type of interferometer is given, and its basic characteristics are presented. The solution obtained in this paper for the problem of reconstructing the wavefront deformations caused by the action of light on the test objects is explained. Results are presented for the use of the technique to study photoinduced refractive-index variations in cerium-doped optical glasses. The mechanisms of the observed effects are discussed.

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