Transient deformation analysis by a carrier method of pulsed electronic speckle-shearing pattern interferometry

The introduction of a pulsed laser into an electronic speckle-shearing pattern interferometer allows high-speed transient deformations to be measured. We report on a computerized system that permits automatic data reduction by introducing carrier fringes through the translation of a diverging lens. The quantitative determination of the phase map that is due to deformation is carried out by the spatial synchronous detection method. Experimental results obtained for a metal plate transiently deformed by an electromagnetic hammer illustrate the advantages of the proposed system. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.