Fast,accurate measurement of path difference with white light

Abstract

An interferometric system is described for measuring phase distributions with white light at a speed limited by the CCD frame rate using a simple phase shifting algorithm where the phase is recovered from quadrature fringe sets. The technique used is almost immune to vibration, and highly accurate. A phase measurement system is implemented using a polarizing Michelson-type interferometer together with geometric phase modulation. The measured phase distributions enabled the recovery of path differences with an accuracy of better than about λ _m /70 where λ _m is the mean wavelength.