Accuracy of phase shifting interferometry

Abstract

The accuracy of phase shifting interferometers is impaired by mechanical drifts and vibrations, intensity variations, nonlinearities of the photoelectric detection device, and, most seriously, by inaccuracies of the reference phase shifter. The phase shifting procedure enables the detection of most of the errors listed above by a special Lissajous display technique described here. Furthermore, it is possible to correct phase shifter inaccuracies by using an iterative process relying solely on the interference pattern itself and the Fourier sums used in phase shifting interferometry.

Conceptual design of a phase-shifting telescope-interferometer

“…In particular the effects of some instrumental errors (image quality of the reference optical arm, vibrations, noise and non-linearity of the detectors) will naturally tend to worsen the ideal measurement accuracy predicted in section 3. Additionally, other error sources specific to PSI such as bias, drift or random errors of the phase-shift φ 0 will also need to be addressed (in the latter case however, several corrective algorithms were already suggested and validated by different authors [16][17], and are most probably suitable to phase-shifting T-Is as well). A complete and quantitative analysis of the major measurement errors affecting a telescope-interferometer is already under preparation, and should be the scope of a future paper.…”

Correction of Errors in Polarization Based Dynamic Phase Shifting Interferometers

“…The use of Lissajous curves in the analysis of phase shifting interferometry has been discussed by Kinnstaetter et al, [3] who utilizes Lissajous figures in the analysis of systematic errors; intensity variation, reference phase errors, vibrations, and nonlinearities of the photo detector. Farrell and Player [4] utilize ellipse fitting and Lissajous figures to calculate the phase difference between interferograms.…”

Fringe-print-through error analysis and correction in snapshot phase-shifting interference microscope

“…The phase-shifting interferometer (PSI) was introduced by Brunning [3] to achieve accurate metrology in 1974, PSI and its variations have been widely used in optical measurement [1,4,5]. However the accuracy of the standard phase-shifting algorithm (PSA) depends on the accuracy of phase shift [5][6][7].…”

“…The phase-shifting interferometer (PSI) was introduced by Brunning [3] to achieve accurate metrology in 1974, PSI and its variations have been widely used in optical measurement [1,4,5]. However the accuracy of the standard phase-shifting algorithm (PSA) depends on the accuracy of phase shift [5][6][7]. Since the phase-shifted interferograms are collected sequentially, the instabilities of light source intensity and frequency, vibration, and air turbulence in the working environment [8][9][10] will lead to the unavoidable and unknown phase error.…”