Simultaneous determination of the refractive index and wedge angle of an optical wedge plate using a photorefractive holographic interferometer

A simple and effective method for simultaneously determining the refractive index and the wedge angle of an optical wedge plate is described. The method is based on a real-time holographic interferometer which uses a photorefractive crystal as the recording and reconstruction medium. The wedge sample under test is inserted into a rectangular cell that is placed in the object light beam of the holographic interferometer. The interference patterns produced before and after a reference liquid is poured into the cell are received by a CCD camera and stored in a computer, respectively. The refractive index and the wedge angle of the wedge sample are determined by measuring the number of fringes falling inside a fixed aperture. The principle of the method is analysed and some experimental results with adequate accuracy are given.