Radial shear interferometer with holographic lenses coupled with a spatial Fourier transform method suitable for static and dynamic measurements

Abstract

Testing with lateral and radial shears is becoming standard in optical shops. Of late, holographic optical elements have proven to be easy and simple to set up, and can be used in both a collimated and convergent beam. However, there is very little work on making quantitative measurements using a symmetric radial shear. We demonstrate a simple method of obtaining both asymmetric and symmetric radial shears, and use the inherent tilt in the wavefronts to perform spatial Fourier transformation to extract phase maps. This radial shear interferometer is also suitable for static and dynamic situations.