A double image Mach–Zehnder interferometer

In this paper, we present a modified version of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer. An arrangement of two linear polarizers and a wave rotator has been inserted in the light’s path. Using this new arrangement, we are able to obtain a double image of a birefringent fibre. This double image records the shifts of the Mach–Zehnder’s fringes for the light vibrating parallel and perpendicular to the fibre’s axis in the same image. Moreover, by controlling the beam splitters, we are able to get an overlap between two images of the fibre and to directly observe an image describing the birefringence of the investigated fibre. This new arrangement has been applied to three polypropylene fibres and a graded-index FOS optical fibre in order to demonstrate its validity and powerful ability for monitoring the direct birefringence. A set of images of the investigated samples is presented and compared with images obtained using the classical Mach–Zehnder interferometer.