Abstract
A two-dimensional measurement method for a birefringence vector distribution differs from a point measurement not only in the two-dimensional system non-uniformity, but also in the system reliability. An optical phase pulsed modulation is employed to simplify the two-dimensional mathematical analysis. As a result, concepts are proposed of the system function, which characterizes the system non-uniformity resulting from the system components, and of the intrinsic function, which is related to the birefringent sample. The influence of the system non-uniformity on the two-dimensional measurement is eliminated by measurement of the intrinsic function while its two values allow the mathematical separation of the birefringence vector components. The effectiveness of the two-dimensional analysis is illustrated by the measurement of a birefringence vector distribution induced by an internal stress distribution in a PMMA plate due to the photo-elastic effect.
