Double-exposure heterodyne imaging for observing line-of-sight deformation

Abstract

An optical heterodyne array imaging system is described for double-exposure interferometric measurement of objects that change because of stress or vibration. The signal measurement and processing approach is summarized, and the method is demonstrated in the laboratory. An advantage of this technique over other electronic interferometric imaging methods is that complex exposures are created with digital phase and amplitude values at each image pixel. In addition, measurement of object deformation does not require time synchronization between the camera exposure time, or laser pulse time, and object vibration frequency.