Patent ID: 7940399
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: G01B,G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for displaying anisotropic properties of a physical object, the method comprising: a. illuminating the physical object with a first test beam characterized by a first polarization; b. combining with a reference beam a first transmitted test beam that has traversed the physical object; c. analyzing combined light of the first transmitted test beam and the reference beam by means of a first pair of polarization analyzers; d. detecting interference created between the first transmitted test beam and the reference beam as analyzed by the first pair of analyzers to derive intensity, phase and polarization of the first transmitted test beam, e. illuminating the object with a second test beam characterized by a second polarization, the second polarization having a component orthogonal to the first polarization; f. analyzing combined light of the second transmitted test beam and the reference beam by means of a second pair of polarization analyzers; g. detecting interference created between the second transmitted test beam and the reference beam as analyzed by the second pair of analyzers to derive intensity, phase and polarization of the second transmitted test beam; h. determining complex elements of a Jones matrix associated with the physical object in a local coordinate system based on the intensity, phase and polarization of the first and second transmitted test beams; and i. displaying a plurality of particular visual depictions of the physical object based on the complex elements of the Jones matrix.