Shifting of localization planes in optical testing: application to a shearing interferometer

Abstract

An amplitude-division two-beam interferometer illuminated by a quasi-monochromatic, spatially incoherent, and periodic source yields multiple localization planes of interference fringes. If a thick transmission sample with a few localized phase disturbances in various layers is placed in the interferometer, the disturbances in a layer can be detected, making its images through the two arms coincide with a chosen localization plane. Different layers can be analyzed by means of shifting the localization plane by a variation of the source period without any other changes in the device. Here we illustrate this method by applying it to a shearing interferometer, a classical Wollaston prism placed between crossed polarizers. Experimental images of different observation planes are obtained, and they are in good agreement with the theoretical expectations.

© 2001 Optical Society of America

Zero fringe visibility in the classical localization plane of a two-beam interferometer

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