Search results for "Waveplate"

Photoelastic stress pattern analysis using Fourier transform with carrier fringes: influence of quarter-wave plate error

2002

The Fourier transform method, widely applied in photomechanics for the automated analysis of interferometric fringe patterns, has been recently extended to the photoelastic isochromatic fringe patterns analysis. Unfortunately, its use in photoelasticity involves some limitations that have not been completely highlighted in literature. This work deals with the influence of the quarter-wave plate tolerance on the evaluation of the retardation. Both theoretical and experimental analyses have shown that the quarter-wave plate error does not affect the retardation only if the principal stress directions in the model and in the carrier are aligned. In general, instead, the tolerance of the quarte…

A method for reducing the influence of quarter-wave plate errors in phase stepping photoelasticity

1998

The phase stepping technique has recently been applied to the automated analysis of photoelastic fringes to determine the isoclinic parameter and the relative retardation. Generally, in these methods the error of quarter-wave plates, due to common manufacturing tolerances, influences the determination of the isoclinic parameter and the fringe order. In this paper a new phase stepping method in which the influence of quarter-wave plate error is null on the isoclinic parameter and negligible on the fringe order is proposed. The theoretical results have been confirmed by experimental tests.

The influence of the quarter wave plates in automated photoelasticity

2002

During the last decades, several methods have been proposed to automate photoelastic analyses. Some procedures are based on the circularly polarised light by using quarter wave plates. However, quarter wave plates are typically matched for a specific wavelength, and an error is introduced at different wavelengths. The error of quarter wave plates affects the measurement of isochromatic and isoclinic data. In this paper, the influence of the errors of quarter wave plates in some of the most common automated photoelastic methods is reviewed. The errors in the photoelastic data are given and the procedures to reduce, or eliminate, them are also suggested.

Optical retarder system with programmable spectral retardance.

2014

An optical system that works as a retarder waveplate with programmable spectral retardance is proposed. The system is based on a pixelated liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM). The input light beam is spectrally dispersed and different spectral components are projected onto different pixels of the LCoS-SLM. A different retardance is then addressed for each pixel, adapted to the incoming wavelength. Light reflected from the SLM is then recombined by the same setup. In this way a programmable polarization spectrum can be encoded. We illustrate the broadband characterization that is required for proper use of the system. Then several examples are shown, including spec…

Dynamic wavefront sensing and correction with low-cost twisted nematic spatial light modulators

2010

Off-the-shelf spatial light modulators (SLMs), like twisted nematic liquid crystal displays (TNLCDs) used in projection systems, show some interesting features such as high spatial resolution, easy handling, wide availability, and low cost. We describe a compact adaptive optical system using just one TNLCD to measure and compensate optical aberrations. The current system operates at a frame rate of the order of 10 Hz with a four-level codification scheme. Wavefront estimation is performed through conventional Hartmann–Shack sensing architecture. The system has proved to work properly with a maximum rms aberration of 0. 76 μm and wavefront gradient of 50 rad/mm at a wavelength of 514 nm. The…

Phase shifting photoelasticity in white light

2007

The availability of image acquisition systems has led to the development of digital photoelasticity both in monochromatic and white light. In particular white light has been used mainly with the following methods: Spectral Content Analysis, RGB photoelasticity and phase shifting photoelasticity. Phase shifting photoelasticity in the colour domain has been used effectively for the determination of the isoclinic parameter in order to reduce the influence of the isochromatic fringes. The method has been also proposed for the determination of the isochromatic fringe order. This paper concerns the general characteristics of phase shifting photoelasticity in the colour domain. Special attention i…

Phase Conjugation in BaTiO/sub 3/ Using Orthogonally Polarized Light Waves

2005

Visualizing coherent molecular rotation in a gaseous medium

2021

Inducing and controlling the ultrafast molecular rotational dynamics using shaped laser fields is essential in numerous applications. Several approaches exist that allow following the coherent molecular motion in real-time, including Coulomb explosion-based techniques and recovering molecular orientation from the angular distribution of high harmonics. We theoretically consider a non-intrusive optical scheme for visualizing the rotational dynamics in an anisotropic molecular gas. The proposed method allows determining the instantaneous orientation of the principal optical axes of the gas. The method is based on probing the sample using ultra-short circularly polarized laser pulses and recor…

Full field automated evaluation of the quarter wave plate retardation by phase stepping technique

2002

Quarter wave plates are optical elements commonly used in photoelasticity to obtain circularly polarized light. They divide the incident light field into two linearly polarized orthogonal components with a phase difference of a quarter of the light wavelength. Due to the tolerance in manufacturing, however, the actual phase shifting produced by the plates is affected by an error, which noticeably influences the photoelastic measurements performed by means of various automated methods. This paper presents a technique, based on the phase stepping method, for the full field automatic evaluation of the quarter wave plate error.

Graphical representation of non-absorbing polarization devices

2000

A graphical representation of general non-absorbing polarization devices operating under normal plane-wave incidence is presented. The representation is based on a four-dimensional spherical parametrization of the Jones matrix of this kind of polarization devices. The graphical representation takes the form of a solid cylinder. The projection of the point representing the device over the base of the cylinder gives the corresponding polarization eigenvectors represented in the complex plane, while the height of the point in the cylinder is the phase of its eigenvalue. Some simple examples like wave-plates and rotators are discussed. The representation may represent a useful tool to identify …