Susceptibility of systematic error-compensating algorithms to random noise in phase-shifting interferometry

In phase-shifting interferometry, many algorithms have been reported that suppress systematic errors caused by, e.g., nonlinear motion of the phase shifter and nonsinusoidal signal waveform. However, when a phase-shifting algorithm is designed to compensate for the systematic phase-shift errors, it becomes more susceptible to random noise and gives larger random errors in the measured phase. The susceptibility of phase-shifting algorithms to random noise is analyzed with respect to their immunity to phase-shift errors and harmonic components of the signal. It is shown that for the most common group of error-compensating algorithms for nonlinear phase shift, both random errors and the effect of high-order harmonic components of the signal cannot be minimized simultaneously. It is also shown that if an algorithm is designed to have extended immunity to nonlinear phase shift, simultaneous minimization becomes possible.     

Compensation algorithm for the phase-shift error of polarization-based parallel two-step phase-shifting digital holography

We propose an algorithm for compensating the phase-shift error of polarization-based parallel two-step phase-shifting digital holography, which is a technique for recording a spatial two-step phase-shifted hologram. Although a polarization-based system of the technique has been experimentally demonstrated, there had been the problem that the phase difference of two phase-shifted holograms had been changed by the extinction ratio of the micropolarizer array attached to the image sensor used in the system. To improve the performance of the system, we established and formulated an algorithm for compensating the phase-shift error. Accurate spatial phase-shifting interferometry in the system can be conducted by the algorithm regardless of phase-shift error due to the extinction ratio. By the numerical simulation, the proposed algorithm was capable of reducing the root mean square errors of the reconstructed image by 1/4 and 1/5 in amplitude and phase, respectively. Also, the algorithm was experimentally demonstrated, and the experimental results showed that the system employing the proposed algorithm suppressed the conjugate image, which slightly appeared in the image reconstructed by the system not employing the algorithm, even when the extinction ratio was 10:1. Thus, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was numerically and experimentally verified.     

Micro-displacement measurement based on multiple self-mixing interference technology

Multiple self-mixing (MSM) interferometry, a high-precision and effective method for measuring micro-displacement, is proposed in this paper. First, a triangular wave is used to drive an electro-optic modulator for the phase modulation of MSM interference signals. Then, the five-step phase-shifting algorithm is used to demodulate the modulated MSM interference signals. Finally, the displacement curves of the vibrating target are reconstructed. MSM interferometry is used to measure the displacement of sinusoidal motion with a peak-to-peak value of 2000 nm and a frequency of 10 Hz. Simulation results show that the maximum reconstruction error of MSM interferometry is 0.074 nm. Experimental results show that the maximum reconstruction errors of MSM interferometry are less than 4 nm. Therefore, MSM interferometry satisfies the high precision required by displacement measurement systems.     

Statistical phase-shifting step estimation algorithm based on the continuous wavelet transform for high-resolution interferometry metrology

We propose a statistical phase-shifting estimation algorithm for temporal phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The proposed algorithm explores spatial information redundancy in the intraframe interferogram dataset using the phase recovery property on the power ridge of the CWT. Despite the errors introduced by the noise of the interferogram, the statistical part of the algorithm is utilized to give a sound estimation of the phase-shifting step. It also introduces the usage of directional statistics as the statistical model, which was validated, so as to offer a better estimation compared with other statistical models. The algorithm is implemented in computer codes, and the validations of the algorithm were performed on numerical simulated signals and actual phase-shifted moiré interferograms. The major advantage of the proposed algorithm is that it imposes weaker conditions on the presumptions in the temporal PSI, which, under most circumstances, requires uniform and precalibrated phase-shifting steps. Compared with other existing deterministic estimation algorithms, the proposed algorithm estimates the phase-shifting step statistically. The proposed algorithm allows the temporal PSI to operate under dynamic loading conditions and arbitrary phase steps and also without precalibration of the phase shifter. The proposed method can serve as a benchmark method for comparing the accuracy of the different phase-step estimation methods.     

Class of 4 + 1-phase algorithms with error compensation

It is well known that phase-shifting interferometry suffers from inaccuracy in the presence of phase-shifting errors. We have proved the limitation of using a 4-phase algorithm to reduce the phase-measurement error in the presence of the phase-shifting error. A class of 4 + 1-phase error compensating algorithms is formulated. It is shown that the proposed algorithms can effectively minimize the effects of the constant phase-shifting error and possess a superior performance than existing error-compensating algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by computer simulations and experiments.     

Digital image encryption and watermarking by phase-shifting interferometry

A method for both image encryption and watermarking by three-step phase-shifting interferometry is proposed. The image to be hidden is stored in three interferograms and then can be reconstructed by use of one random phase mask, several specific geometric parameters, and a certain algorithm. To further increase the security of the hidden image and confuse unauthorized receivers, images with the same or different content can be added to the interferograms, and these images will have no or only a small effect on the retrieval of the hidden image, owing to the specific property of this algorithm. All these features and the utility of this method for image retrieval from parts of interferograms are verified by computer simulations. This technique uses intensity maps as decrypted images for delivery, and both encryption and decryption can be conveniently achieved digitally. It is particularly suitable for the remote transmission of secret information via the Internet.     

Compression of interference patterns with application to phase-shifting digital holography

A compression method of phase-shifting digital holographic data is presented. Three interference patterns are recorded, and holographic information is extracted from them by phase-shifting interferometry. The scheme uses standard baseline Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) or standard JPEG-2000 image compression techniques on the recorded interference patterns to reduce the amount of data to be stored. High compression rates are achieved for good reconstructed object image quality. The utility of the proposed method is experimentally verified with real holographic data. Results for compression rates using JPEG-2000 and JPEG of approximately 27 and 20, respectively, for a normalized root-mean-square error of approximately 0.7 are demonstrated.     

Digital color image watermarking based on phase-shifting interferometry and neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm in the discrete-cosine-transform domain

A novel single-channel color-image watermarking with digital-optics means based on phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) and a neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm in the discrete-cosine-transform (DCT) domain is proposed. The converted two-dimensional indexed image matrix from an original color image is encrypted to four interferograms by a PSI and double random-phase encoding technique. Then the interferograms are embedded in one chosen channel of an enlarged color host image in the DCT domain. The hidden color image can be retrieved by DCT, the improved neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm, an inverse encryption process, and color image format conversion. The feasibility of this method and its robustness against some types of distortion and attacks from the superposed image with different weighting factors are verified and analyzed by computer simulations. This approach can avoid the cross-talk noise due to direct information superposition, enhance the imperceptibility of hidden data, and improve the efficiency of data transmission.     

Predicting phase steps in phase-shifting interferometry in the presence of noise and harmonics

A novel method for estimating pixelwise phase step values in phase-shifting interferometry is presented. The method is based on the linear prediction property of the intensity fringes recorded temporally at a pixel on the charged-coupled device. The salient features of the method lie in their ability to handle linear miscalibration errors, to compensate for the presence of harmonics in an optical configuration and detector nonlinearity, and to allow for the use of arbitrary phase steps. The robustness of the proposed method is studied in the presence of noise and a comparison with several benchmarking algorithms is performed. The simulation results show the efficiency of the algorithm in retrieving the wrapped phase.     

单次相移数字全息中相移值的提取

为了消除相移误差对数字全息中再现像的像质的影响,本文时单次相移数字全息进行了研究.基于相位统计特性,提出了一种有效消除相移误差的新方法,该方法能够对任意未知相移量进行提取,并利用数字全息图所有抽样点的强度偏差之和作为评价标准,通过逐步改变计算得到的初始相移值来寻找正确的实际相移角.计算机模拟得到了很好的再现结果,证明了该方法的可行性和有效性.     

Fourier-transform method of phase-shift determination

A new phase-shifting interferometry analysis technique has been developed to overcome the errors introduced by nonlinear, irregular, or unknown phase-step increments. In the presence of a spatial carrier frequency, by observation of the phase of the first-order maximum in the Fourier domain, the global phase-step positions can be measured, phase-shifting elements can be calibrated, and the accuracy of phase-shifting analysis can be improved. Furthermore, reliance on the calibration accuracy of transducers used in phase-shifting interferometry can be reduced; and phase-retrieval errors (e.g., fringe print-through) introduced by uncalibrated fluctuations in the phase-shifting phase increments can be alleviated. The method operates deterministically and does not rely on iterative global error minimization. Relative to other techniques, the number of recorded interferograms required for analysis can be reduced.     

Numerical correction of reference phases in phase-shifting interferometry by iterative least-squares fitting

We present a new computational algorithm of phase-shifting interferometry that can effectively eliminate the uncertainty errors of reference phases encountered when we obtain multiple interferograms. The algorithm treats the reference phases as additional unknowns and we determine their exact values by analyzing interferograms using the numerical least-squares technique. A series of simulations prove that this algorithm can improve measuring accuracy because it is unaffected by the nonlinear and random errors of phase shifters.     

Single-shot parallel four-step phase shifting using on-axis Fizeau interferometry

The purposes of the paper are threefold: (1) to show the possibility to perform parallel phase-shifting Fizeau interferometry by using a quarter waveplate with high flatness as a reference, (2) to present a comparative study between the phase-shifting algorithm and the off-axis geometry in surface microtopography measurement, and (3) to show the advantages of using the proposed common path Fizeau interferometry over the quasi-common path Michelson interferometry in terms of accuracy in measurement. The compelling advantage of the proposed parallel phase-shifting Fizeau interferometric technique is the long-term stability that leads to measuring objects with a high degree of accuracy.     

四步相移数字全息干涉术相移提取和物光重建

提出广义相移干涉术中结合广义四步公式改进最小二乘法抽取任意相移进而重建复波的方法.利用广义相移数字全息算法的物波重建公式替代传统最小二乘法来提取参考光相位和重建物体波前,大幅减小迭代循环的计算量.使用该方法,每一次迭代计算参考相位只需要一个最小二乘法,同时利用物波前重建公式计算物光相位.这种方法的可行性和有效性已被计算...     

Correction of wave-front errors caused by the slight tilt of a reference beam in phase-shifting interferometry

In standard phase-shifting interferometry the reference beam is supposed to be a plane wave exactly normal to the recording plane. A slight tilt of the reference beam, however, may occur in practice, and it will introduce phase distortion for the reconstructed object wave front. The effects of reference wave tilt on the wave reconstruction are analyzed, and a novel method is proposed to correct the errors caused by this tilt. This method is simple and convenient without the need of any additional optical devices and measurements, and it can be used for both the smooth and the diffuse object surfaces. The effectiveness of this method is verified by a series of computer simulations.     

Blind phase shift estimation in phase-shifting interferometry

A blind phase shift estimation algorithm that allows simultaneous calculation of phases and phase shifts from three or more interferograms is presented. In phase-shifting interferometry, the phase shift errors introduce specific correlations between the calculated background intensity distribution and the fringe component. These correlations can be measured with a cross-power spectrum. By minimization of an objective function based on this cross-power spectrum, the actual phase shifts are estimated and used for phase recovery. The validity of this algorithm is verified by both the numerical simulation and the experiment results.     

Phase-shifting algorithms for electronic speckle pattern interferometry

A set of innovative phase-shifting algorithms developed to facilitate metrology based on electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) are presented. The theory of a phase-shifting algorithm, called a (5,1) algorithm, that takes five phase-shifted intensity maps before a specimen is deformed and one intensity map after a specimen is deformed is presented first. Because a high-speed camera can be used to record the dynamic image of the specimen, this newly developed algorithm has the potential to retain the phase-shifting capability for ESPI in dynamic measurements. Also shown is an algorithm called a (1,5) algorithm that takes five phase-shifted intensity maps after the specimen is deformed. In addition, a direct-correlation algorithm was integrated with these newly developed (5,1) or (1,5) algorithms to form DC-(5,1) and DC-(1,5) algorithms, which are shown to improve significantly the quality of the phase maps. The theoretical and experimental aspects of these two newly developed techniques, which can extend ESPI to areas such as high-speed dynamic measurements, are examined in detail.     

Improved vertical-scanning interferometry

We describe a method that combines phase-shifting and coherence-peak-sensing techniques to permit measurements with the height resolution of phase-shifting interferometry without the interval-slope limitation of lambda/4 per data sample of phase-shifting interferometry. A five-frame algorithm is used to determine both the best-focus frame position and the fractional phase from the best-focus frame of the correlogram acquired through vertical scanning. The two surface profiles retrieved from the phase and the modulation contrast of the correlograms are compared in the phase-unwrapping process to remove fringe-order ambiguity.     

Spatial phase shifting in electronic speckle pattern interferometry: minimization of phase reconstruction errors

The advantages of spatial phase shifting (SPS) compared with temporal phase shifting in the field of electronic speckle pattern interferometry are described. Some periodic phase reconstruction errors occurring in SPS are discussed. It is shown that these errors become minimal for a spatial phase-shift angle of 2pi/3. Furthermore, a modified phase reconstruction formula is presented by which the noise in the reconstructed phase map is reduced.     

Parallel phase-shifting interferometry based on Michelson-like architecture

In this paper, we present a new scheme for parallel phase-shifting interferometry that employs a Michelson-like architecture and a simple polarization unit to generate two phase-shifting interferograms with phase shift of π/2 at a single camera exposure. The parallel phase-shifting unit is built with simple optical components, and the distance between the parallel interferograms can be adjusted conveniently. Phase reconstruction is performed by using an algorithm developed for two-step phase-shifting interferometry. The practicability of the proposed configuration and the reconstruction method is demonstrated by experiments.