INTERFEROMETRIC CONFIGURATION BASED ON A GRATING INTERFEROMETER FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE PHASE BETWEEN TE AND TM POLARIZATIONS AFTER DIFFRACTION BY GRATINGS

Ellipsometers permit the measurement of the phase between s and p pola rizations with high accuracy. However, for some applications such high accuracy is not required. A configuration based on a grating interfer ometer is an attractive solution that permits, with the use of a polar izer and a ferroelectric liquid-crystal retarder, the measurement of t he phase between s and p polarizations after diffraction by gratings. This device can find applications in the field of optical fiber sensor s. (C) 1995 Optical Society of America