Interferometer for use in wave-front testing with a cross slit

A simple and novel interferometric setup for wave-front testing that uses a cross slit is described. In this method, the test beam illuminates a cross slit placed at the front focal plane of a Fourier lens. It selects two orthogonal slices from the test beam, and the interference of these two beams is observed at a slightly defocused plane near the back focal plane. Fringes of different conical forms (circular, elliptical, or hyperbolic) so obtained can be used for testing a coherent wave front in general. The theory, supported by some experimental results, is presented. An application of the method to the study of the nature of asymmetry in the beam profile of a semiconductor diode laser beam is demonstrated.