Spatial Phase-Shifting Interferential System on Polarization Interference and Grating Beam- Splitting: Phase-Shifting Error Testing

In spatial phase-shifting interferential system on polarization interference and grating beam-splitting, the azimuth errors of the polarizers are the central error sources of phase-shifting steps and have 1:1 effect for the steps. It applies two ways to determine the azimuth errors of the ploarizers: experimental testing and software calculating. The basic principle of experimental testing is that the polarizer has selectivity for the polarizing direction. CCD records the intensity changing and it determines the direction of light axis of each polarizer by the turn-point of the intensity. The way of software calculating includes two algorithms: iterative phase-shifting algorithm and Fourier-tranform method of phase-shift determination. It builds an experimental system to test the azimuth errors of the polarizers, and analyzes the calculating errors of two algorithms by simulative phase-shifting fringe patterns.