BIREFRINGENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND BIREFRINGENCE MEASUREMENT METHOD

摘要

The present invention has a problem aiming to provide a birefringence measurement device capable of measuring a two-dimensional distribution of birefringence in a measurement target in real time and in detail using a simple configuration without a rotating mechanism. A birefringence measurement device 1A according to the present invention includes light flux generating means 2 for generating light flux L1, light flux irradiating means 3, 4, or 5 for irradiating a measurement target 20 with the light flux L1 in a predetermined polarization state, an imaging optical system 10 for forming an image from light flux L4 transmitted through the measurement target 20, a polarization/diffraction grating 8 disposed in a position within the imaging optical system 10, image pickup means 12 for generating a light-dark signal related to brightness of the image formed by the imaging optical system 10, and output means for outputting information regarding a phase difference for the light flux L4, the phase difference resulting from the transmission through the measurement target 20 and being determined on the basis of the light-dark signal, and the image pickup means 12 generates the light-dark signal for an image based on at least one beam of diffracted light L7 from among a plurality of beams of diffracted light produced by the polarization/diffraction grating 8.