Identification of nonlinear recording error in phase shifting interferometry

The phase shifting method for quantitative fringe pattern analysis provides high accuracy if stringent requirements on the component interferogram recording are met. In the paper the issue of detection and identification of error sources in the two-beam interferogram phase shifting experiment is discussed. The phase shift angle histogram and lattice-site representation are applied for that purpose. Special attention is paid to possible nonlinear recording of component interferograms in the presence of linear and nonlinear phase step errors. Four and five step phase shifting algorithms are considered. The superiority of the lattice-site representation is shown. In the case of phase steps equal to pi/2, however, the lattice-site representation of shift angles for five frame algorithm does not allow to detect recording nonlinearity. The four frame counterpart shows to be very helpful in this respect. Its properties related to the fringe pattern profile under study, including a defocused Ronchi grating, are discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.