Patent ID: 6674532
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: G01J

Abstract:
An interferometric polarization interrogating filter assembly, comprising:a first retardation encoding element for receiving a partially-polarized primary image, splitting said primary image into two orthogonally polarized secondary eigen images and retarding one said secondary eigen image relative to the other in a spatially-varying manner; a second retardation encoding element for receiving said secondary eigen images, splitting each said secondary eigen image into two orthogonally polarized tertiary eigen images and retarding one said tertiary eigen image relative to the other in a spatially-varying manner; and a polarizer for receiving said tertiary eigen images and preferentially transmitting those components of said tertiary eigen images that are substantially equivalent to the major eigenpolarization state of said polarizer, thereby allowing a polarization-encoded irradiance fringe system to be formed.