Birefringence imaging with imperfect benches: application to large-scale birefringence measurements

We describe a birefringence measurement bench that allows fast two-dimensio nal measurements of low-birefringence fields in large transparent samples. We present calculations that show that, even when a birefringence bench exh ibits defects (nonideal components, misalignments, etc.), measurements can be performed under realistic conditions without any a priori knowledge of t he origin of the bench defects. This allows the measurement of birefringenc e fields on large-scale samples by use of an array of detectors instead of a single detector element, with a sensitivity of 3 x 10(-4) rad for 2-s dat a integration. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 260.1440, 12 0.4640.