Abstract
This chapter discusses macro-interferometry and micro-interferometry. Many applications of optical interferometry involve measurements of local variations of shape or refractive index. The chapter provides a brief introduction of interferometry refractive index. It discusses the Mach–Zehnder interferometer, which has the advantages that the separation of the two beams can be as large as desired, and the test section is traversed only once. The chapter explores the interference microscopy that provides a noncontact method for studies of the structure and measurements of the roughness of specular surfaces, when stylus profiling cannot be used because of the risk of damage. The multiple-beam interferometry and two-beam interference microscopes are also discussed. An important application of multiple-beam fringes of equal thickness is in studies of the structure of surfaces. Two-beam interference microscopes are used for very accurate measurements that can be made by phase-shifting. The chapter explores the Nomarski interferometer, which has very small local defects. Phase-shifting techniques can be applied to the Nomarski interferometer by using a phase shifter operating on the Pancharatnam phase. And an important application of the Nomarski interference microscope is for studies of transparent living cells.
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