3D Imaging: Wave Front Sensing Utilizing a Birefringent Crystal

Abstract

Utilizing a rotatable thin birefringent crystal and two polarizers, the three-dimensional (3D) wave front of any light wave can be measured conveniently. In first experiments phase-front distortions as small as 15 &mgr;m are detected with a dynamic range of 3 mm and a spatial resolution of 50 &mgr;m. Such a dynamic range and spatial resolution exceed the performance of conventional wave front sensors of, e.g., the Shack-Hartmann type, significantly. Furthermore, the new system is rather insensitive against mechanical instabilities in opposition to interferometric and holographic techniques.

Studies on conventional and Sankaranarayanan–Ramasamy (SR) method grown ferroelectric glycine phosphite (GPI) single crystals

“…1(b)) like calcite and KAP crystals. This shows GPI crystal exhibits the birefringence effect and this behavior is used in birefringent crystal polarization devices [16]. The cut and polished GPI crystals are shown in Fig.…”

Crystal growth, thermal and optical studies of L‐histidine tetrafluoroborate: A semiorganic NLO material

“…Birefringent materials are used as circulators, beam displacers and Glan polarisers [12][13][14]. The birefringence of L-HFB was measured using channel spectrum method with a high power halogen lamp (500W) as a source.…”

Aspects of the Tribology of the Plastic Bonded Explosive (PBX) 9404*

“…This conoscopic holographic technique measures the interference of ordinary and extraordinary rays off the sample through a birefringent crystal against a calibration to produce a surface profile [14,15]. The roughness R a is the mean of the z-axis profile calculated from…”