New Phase Shifting Algorithms Insensitive to Linear Phase Shift Errors

Abstract

This article describes and analyses multistep algorithms for evaluating of the wave field phase in interferometric measurements using the phase shifting technique. New phase shifting algorithms are proposed, with a constant but arbitrary phase shift between captured frames of the intensity of the interference field. The phase evaluation process then does not depend on linear phase shift errors. A big advantage of the described algorithms is their ability to determine the phase shift value at every point of the detector plane. A detailed analysis of these algorithms with respect to main factors that affect interferometric measurements is then carried out. The dependency of these algorithms on phase shift values is also studied several phase calculation algorithms are proposed. These are compared with respect to the resulting phase errors.