Polarization phase-shifting double-shearing interferometer for the test of the diffraction-limited wavefront

Lijuan Wang; Liren Liu; Zhu Luan; Jianfeng Sun; Yu Zhou

doi:10.1117/12.731955

25 September 2007 Polarization phase-shifting double-shearing interferometer for the test of the diffraction-limited wavefront

Lijuan Wang, Liren Liu, Zhu Luan, Jianfeng Sun, Yu Zhou

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6709, Free-Space Laser Communications VII; 67091H (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.731955
Event: Optical Engineering + Applications, 2007, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

In the inter-satellite laser communication, the laser wavefront reaches the diffraction limit. For the test of the diffraction-limited wavefront, we have developed a Jamin double-shearing interferometer of which the detectable wave-front height is in the order of 0.1 wavelengths. Based on this interferometer, a polarization phase-shifting double-shearing interferometer is proposed to improve the performance. The existing Jamin double-shearing interferometer is consists of two Jamin plates to form lateral shearing and four wedge plates to divide the aperture. The polarization phase shifter is composed of three polarizers, a quarter-wave plate and an analyzer. The first polarizer is placed in front of the first Jamin plate. The second and third polarizers are placed behind the wedge plates and their transmission axes are parallel and perpendicular to the incident plane of the Jamin plates, respectively. The fast axis of the quarter-wave plate has an angle of 45 degrees to the transmission axis of the second and third polarizers. By rotating the analyzer, the phase-shift interferogram is obtained. In the interferometer, the polarization phase shifter is simple to be inserted and the phase shifting is easy to realize. The interferometer is kept as an equal optical path system and still suits wavefront testing of the low coherent light. In experiments, phase-shifting interferograms are obtained and the usefulness of the interferometer is verified.

Citation Download Citation

Lijuan Wang, Liren Liu, Zhu Luan, Jianfeng Sun, and Yu Zhou "Polarization phase-shifting double-shearing interferometer for the test of the diffraction-limited wavefront", Proc. SPIE 6709, Free-Space Laser Communications VII, 67091H (25 September 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.731955

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