Polarimetric imaging of 3-D object by use of wavefront-splitting phase-shifting digital holography

Abstract

A polarimetric imaging method of a 3-D object by use of wavefront-splitting phase-shifting digital holography is presented. Phase-shifting digital holography with a phase difference between orthogonal polarizations is used. The use of orthogonal polarizations can make it possible to record two phase-shifted holograms simultaneously if we use pixelated polarimetric optical elements. By combining the holograms with the distributions of a reference wave and an object wave, the complex field of the object wavefront can be obtained. The polarimetric image results from a combination of two kinds of holographic imaging using orthogonal polarized reference waves. An experimental demonstration of a 3-D polarimetric imaging is presented. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.