Abstract

Holographic interferometry is an important diagnostic technique with a large number of practical applications. Global visualization of spatial refractive-index distributions may be obtained using this technique. Holographic interferometry allows the resultant refractive-index distributions to be quantitatively evaluated without disturbing the phenomena under study. To date, holographic film has been used as the recording medium in most of the holographic-interferometry experiments reported in the literature. The use of film is basically undesirable due to the tedium involved in developing the exposed film and the necessity of a darkened work area. Self-developing, or photorefractive, optical crystals offer an alternative to the use of film in holographic interferometry.

© 1988 Optical Society of America