Optical Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) laser based methods include among others, Holographic Interferometry, its subsequent development into Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry ( ESPI ), and another speckle technique known as Shearography. These laser based methods are very attractive in that they provide full field view non-contacting means of determining material conditions, in engine...

We report a new version of spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction (SPIDER) requiring only a single phase-shaped laser beam. A narrowband probe pulse is selected out of a broadband ultrafast laser pulse by a phase pulse-shaping technique and mixed with the original broadband pulse to generate a second-harmonic generation (SHG) signal. Using another SHG signal sole...

With its nearly 40 years of existence, speckle interferometry (SI) has become a complete technique, widely used in many branches of experimental mechanics. It is thus a challenging task to try to summarise in a couple of pages its principal characteristics from both theoretical and practical points of view. Admittedly, even though this goal is not met here, it appeared worth attempting to provi...

Ultrafast optical diagnostics play a vital role in probing the dynamics in laser-matter interactions, including those observed in the high intensity ultrashort laser pulse regime. We developed a new femtosecond optical diagnostic, single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry (SSSI), which measures ultra-rapid transients in the complex index of refraction induced by an intense laser pulse....

We describe three different interferometric techniques (electronic speckle pattern interferometry, digital holographic interferometry, and digital shearography), using a long-wave infrared radiation produced by a CO(2) laser and recorded on a microbolometer array. Experimental results showing how these methods can be used for nondestructive testing are presented. Advantages and disadvantages of...

We report on wide-field imaging of pulsatile motion induced by blood flow using heterodyne holographic interferometry on the thumb of a healthy volunteer, in real time. Optical Doppler images were measured with green laser light by a frequency-shifted Mach-Zehnder interferometer in off-axis configuration. The recorded optical signal was linked to local instantaneous out-of-plane motion of the s...

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to launch in the middle of the next decade. LISA will detect gravitational waves generated by sources ranging from galactic sources like neutron star and white dwarf binaries to mergers between super-massive black holes in the centers of colliding galaxies. LISA will consist of six freely-falling proof masses shielded by three identical ...

This paper describes the fabrication of a novel type of pressure sensor based on optical feedback in a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL). The detection mechanism of the sensor is based on a displacement measurement through self-mixing interferometry in the laser cavity. The use of unpackaged VCSELs enables the embedding in thin flexible optical foils which results in an integrated ...

We present what we believe to be a new version of spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction (SPIDER) using only a single-phase and polarization controlled laser beam. Two narrow pulses and one broadband pulse are selected out of an ultrafast laser pulse by a polarization and phase control technique to generate second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, which are equi...

A universal digital holographic microscope to measure shape and displacement of microelement and MEMS (MicroElectroMechnacalSystems) is presented. This device is designed to exploit a measurement for MEMS with either a smooth or a rough surface. The method is based on digital laser interferometry and digital laser speckle interferometry (TV holography) incorporated with optoelectronic devices i...