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Recent technological innovations have enabled the development of a new class of dynamic (vibration-insensitive) interferometer based on a CCD pixel-level phase-shifting approach. We present theoretical and experimental results for an interferometer based on this pixelated phase-shifting technique. Analyses of component errors and instrument functionality are presented. We show that the majority of error sources cause relatively small magnitude peak-to-valley errors in measurement of the order of 0.002-0.005lambda. These errors are largely mitigated by high-rate data acquisition and consequent data averaging.

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Thermal blooming of laser beams in liquids and gases has been studied using geometrical optics. The intensity profiles, light rays, and fluid density changes are determined as functions of time and of the initial beam profile. Short and long time behavior are derived. The effects of thermal conduction and viscosity. are included. Special beam profiles such as a uniformly illuminated aperture, a parabolic profile, and a Gaussian beam are treated. The on-axis beam intensity as given by the theory is compared to the data proved by Kenemuth et al. and is shown to fit within the experimental error.