Abstract

A Polarization Mach Zehnder Interferometer (PMZI) was implemented to analyze transparent samples using a two-step algorithm to retrieve the optical phase data in a single capture. In order to take the advantage of the two interferograms output of the PMZI and use properly the two-step algorithm, certain conditions need to be meet in the reference-object beams. The most significant condition is that the relative phase shift between interferograms needs to be different of π. We overcome this condition by interfering elliptical polarizing beams with special characteristics to obtain two-interferograms equally amplitude-modulated and also obtain a desired phase shift. Experimental results for static and dynamic events are presented.

© 2013 Optical Society of America