Method for measuring the refractive index distribution of a GRIN lens with heterodyne interferometry

摘要

Based on the Fresnel's equations and the heterodyne interferometry, an alternative method for measuring the refractive index distribution of a GRIN lens is presented. A light coming from the heterodyne light source passes through a quarter-wave plate and is incident on the tested GRIN lens. The reflected light passes through an analyzer and an imaging lens; finally it enters a CMOS camera. The interference signals produced by the components of the s- and the p-polarizations are recorded and they are sent to a personal computer to be analyzed. In order to measure the absolute phases of the interference signals accurately, a special condition is chosen. Then, the interference signals become a group of periodic sinusoidal segments, and each segment has an initial phase ψ with the information of the refractive index. Consequently, the estimated data of ψ are substituted into the special equations derived from Fresnel's equations, and the refractive index distribution of the GRIN lens can be obtained. Because of its common-path optical configuration, this method has both merits of the common-path interferometry and the heterodyne interferometry. In addition, the phase can be measured without reference signals.