Imaging interferometry to measure surface rotation field

This paper describes a polarized-light imaging interferometer to measure the rotation field of reflecting surfaces. This setup is based on a homemade prism featuring a birefringence gradient. The arrangement is presented before focusing on the homemade prism and its manufacturing process. The dependence of the measured optical phase on the rotation of the surface is derived, thus highlighting the key parameters driving the sensitivity. The system’s capabilities are illustrated by imaging the rotation field at the surface of a tip-loaded polymer specimen.