A reflection-based optical implementation of two simultaneous scale-invariant fractional Fourier transforms (FRTs) is used to develop a novel compact speckle photographic system. The system allows the independent determination of both surface tilting and in-plane translational motion from two sequential mixed domain images captured using a single camera. © 2006 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 070.2580 Speckle photography (SP) is a practical means of measuring in-plane translation and tilting motion of optically rough surfaces. 1,2 In-plane translation measurement involves the capture of the intensity of the field reflected from the surface both before and after motion. Numerically calculating the Fourier transform (FT) of the sum or difference of the two sequential images yields a cosinusoidal fringe pattern with spacing inversely proportional to the surface displacement and fringe normal to the direction of motion. In the measurement of tilting, the optical Fourier transform (OFT) of the reflected surface fields is captured and the FT of the sum or difference results in fringe spacing inversely proportional to the magnitude of the rotation. While the imaging technique is insensitive to tilting motion, the OFT technique is insensitive to translation, and thus two systems are required to capture both components of surface motion. Neither technique allows the user to determine the direction of motion.The fractional Fourier transform 3,4 (FRT) is a linear transform, of which the imaging operation and the FT are special cases. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Combining the optical implementation of the FRT (OFRT) with SP allows the simultaneous measurement of mixed translation and tilting motions.11 Using an OFRT system, 12 termed a "fake-zoom lens," variation of both the minimum resolution and the dynamic range of measurement has been demonstrated. 13 Separation of both motion components can be achieved, using images captured in a single FRT domain, if a linear relationship exists between the two types of motion. Otherwise, capture in two different fractional domains is necessary 14 and has been demonstrated. 15 The technique involves the capture of two images first in one domain (OFRT order a1) and then two more in the second (OFRT order a2), by using a two-lens, scaleinvariant OFRT. 16 Correlating these images numerically allows the direction of motion to be determined and also allows decorrelation effects to be observed. In summary this technique requires the capture of four sequential images at a single camera, with a change of OFRT order during capture or the use of two parallel optical systems with different OFRT orders and two cameras, each of which captures two sequential images.The use of reflective elements in OFRT systems has been discussed theoretically.17 Light, after crossing a system made up of free-space distances and refracting elements, may be reflected back through the same system by a plane mirror. The effect of the "back" transit can be described by the concatenation of the system components in reve...