Operation of a polarization interferometer for measurement of the wavelength changes of a tunable semiconductor laser was investigated. A lambda/8 waveplate made from liquid crystalline polymer is placed in one of interferometers’ arms in order to generate two output signals in quadrature. Wavelength was measured with resolution of 2 pm in the wavelength range 628–635 nm. Drift of the interferometer, measured in the period of 500...

A common-path polarization interferometer using a Wollaston prism and an area detector for the measurement of retardation or optical path difference is presented. Employing a moderate-resolution 1280 by 1024 pixel monochrome camera, it offers a measurement range of approximately 780 radians at 830 nm and 1350 radians at 515 nm while maintaining a high measurement resolution. Retardation introduced by a zero-order waveplate or a...