Double transmission-mediums based geometric phase analysis for determining the two surface profiles of transparent object

The accurate measurement for the surface profiles of transparent object is of significance for quality control in optical devices and precision instruments. Here, a double transmission-mediums based geometric phase analysis method has been developed to evaluate both the upper and lower surface profiles of transparent object. To do this, the tested transparent object is placed above a preprinted lattice pattern. When viewed from above with a CCD camera, any slope variations of the surfaces will lead to distortions of the transmission-lattice patterns. And when changing one side of object's contact medium, the lattice virtual image with modulated phase is distorted once again. Combined with the derived relationship between phase variations of transmission-lattice patterns and out-of-plane heights of two surfaces, the double-sided surface profiles of transparent object can be reconstructed successfully. With this, the technique, which is verified experimentally, is demonstrated to be a feasible and reliable method. The advantage of this method is that it simplifies the setup and allows a fast estimation of the geometry of a transparent specimen. The double-sided profiles can be decoupled easily according to the big difference of refractive indexes between contact mediums. And the calculation accuracy can be guaranteed by the weighted average from four directions.