A fast-Fourier-transform method of topography and interferometry is proposed. By computer processing of a noncontour type of fringe pattern, automatic discrimination is achieved between elevation and depression of the object or wave-front form, which has not been possible by the fringe-contour-generation techniques. The method has advantages over moire topography and conventional fringe-contour interferometry in both accuracy and sensitivity. Unlike fringe-scanning techniques, the method is easy to apply because it uses no moving components.

Fourier-transform method of fringe-pattern analysis for computer-based topography and interferometry

A self-scanned 1024 element photodiode array and minicomputer are used to measure the phase (wavefront) in the interference pattern of an interferometer to lambda/100. The photodiode array samples intensities over a 32 x 32 matrix in the interference pattern as the length of the reference arm is varied piezoelectrically. Using these data the minicomputer synchronously detects the phase at each of the 1024 points by a Fourier series method and displays the wavefront in contour and perspective plot on a storage oscilloscope in less than 1 min (Bruning et al. Paper WE16, OSA Annual Meeting, Oct. 1972). The array of intensities is sampled and averaged many times in a random fashion so that the effects of air turbulence, vibrations, and thermal drifts are minimized. Very significant is the fact that wavefront errors in the interferometer are easily determined and may be automatically subtracted from current or subsequent wavefrots. Various programs supporting the measurement system include software for determining the aperture boundary, sum and difference of wavefronts, removal or insertion of tilt and focus errors, and routines for spatial manipulation of wavefronts. FFT programs transform wavefront data into point spread function and modulus and phase of the optical transfer function of lenses. Display programs plot these functions in contour and perspective. The system has been designed to optimize the collection of data to give higher than usual accuracy in measuring the individual elements and final performance of assembled diffraction limited optical systems, and furthermore, the short loop time of a few minutes makes the system an attractive alternative to constraints imposed by test glasses in the optical shop.

Digital wavefront measuring interferometer for testing optical surfaces and lenses

Review of single-shot 3D shape measurement by phase calculation-based fringe projection techniques

We introduce and experimentally demonstrate a fast and accurate method for quantitative imaging of the dynamics of live biological cells. Using a dual-channel interferometric setup, two phase-shifted interferograms of nearly transparent biological samples are acquired in a single digital camera exposure and digitally processed into the phase profile of the sample. Since two interferograms of the same sample are acquired simultaneously, most of the common phase noise is eliminated, enabling the visualization of millisecond-scale dynamic biological phenomena with subnanometer optical path length temporal stability.

https://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~omni/PhaseMicroscopy-OL2009.pdf

Dual-interference-channel quantitative-phase microscopy of live cell dynamics

Phase change materials (PCM) are able to store thermal energy when becoming liquid and to release it when solidifying Latent heat storage has gained importance due the applications towards increasing energy efficiency in several systems Thus, a correct and accurate thermal characterization of these materials should be achieved Among all possible thermal analysis methods to determine PCM thermophysical properties, the T-history method presents certain advantages The T-history method is known to be suitable to obtain fusion enthalpy, specific heat and thermal conductivity for large phase change materials samples On the other hand, no experimental T-history equipment is commercially available yet Therefore, the goal of this paper is moving towards a consensus To achieve this goal, a collection of similar methods previous to T-history are exposed and different proposals based on improving the original T-history method are discussed and reviewed

Review of the T-history method to determine thermophysical properties of phase change materials (PCM)

An experimental setup for optical phase extraction from 2-D interferograms using a one-shot phase-shifting technique able to achieve four interferograms with 90° phase shifts in between is presented. The system uses a common-path interferometer consisting of two windows in the input plane and a phase grating in Fourier plane as its pupil. Each window has a birefringent wave plate attached in order to achieve nearly circular polarization of opposite rotations one respect to the other after being illuminated with a 45° linear polarized beam. In the output, interference of the fields associated with replicated windows (diffraction orders) is achieved by a proper choice of the windows spacing with respect to the grating period. The phase shifts to achieve four interferograms simultaneously to perform phase-shifting interferometry can be obtained by placing linear polarizers on each diffraction orders before detection at an appropriate angle. Some experimental results are shown.

One-shot phase-shifting phase-grating interferometry with modulation of polarization: case of four interferograms.

Among several techniques, phase shifting interferometry can be implemented with a grating used as a beam divider to attain several interference patterns around each diffraction order. Because each pattern has to show a different phase-shift, a suitable shifting technique must be employed. Phase gratings are attractive to perform the former task due to their higher diffraction efficiencies. But as is very well known, the Fourier coefficients of only-phase gratings are integer order Bessel functions of the first kind. The values of these real-valued functions oscillate around zero, so they can adopt negative values, thereby introducing phase shifts of π at certain diffraction orders. Because this almost trivial fact seems to have been overlooked in the literature regarding its practical implications, in this communication such phase shifts are stressed in the description of interference patterns obtained with grating interferometers. These patterns are obtained by placing two windows in the object plane of a 4f system with a sinusoidal grating/grid in the Fourier plane. It is shown that the corresponding experimental observations of the fringe modulation, as well as the corresponding phase measurements, are all in agreement with the proposed description. A one-shot phase shifting interferometer is finally proposed taking into account these properties after proper incorporation of modulation of polarization.

Phase shifts in the Fourier spectra of phase gratings and phase grids: an application for one-shot phase-shifting interferometry

Generalized phase-shifting interferometry by parameter estimation with the least squares method

To extract phase distributions, which evolve in time using phase-shifting interferometry, the simultaneous capture of several interferograms with a prescribed shift has to be done. Previous interferometric systems aimed to fulfill such a task were reported to get only four interferograms. It is pointed out that more than four suitable interferograms can be obtained with an interferometer that uses two windows in the object plane, a phase grid as a pupil, and modulation of polarization for each diffraction orders in the image plane. Experimental results for five, seven, and nine interferograms are given.

One-shot phase-shifting interferometry: five, seven, and nine interferograms.

The technique for generating the partially coherent and partially polarized source starting from the completely coherent and completely polarized laser source is proposed and analyzed. This technique differs from the known ones by the simplicity of its physical realization. The efficiency of the proposed technique is illustrated with the results of physical experiment in which an original technique for characterizing the coherence and polarization properties of the generated source is employed.

Cruz Meneses-Fabian

Papers

One-shot phase-shifting phase-grating interferometry with modulation of polarization: case of four interferograms.

Phase shifts in the Fourier spectra of phase gratings and phase grids: an application for one-shot phase-shifting interferometry

Generalized phase-shifting interferometry by parameter estimation with the least squares method

One-shot phase-shifting interferometry: five, seven, and nine interferograms.

Experimental generating the partially coherent and partially polarized electromagnetic source.