Interferometric measurement of surface shape by wavelength tuning suppressing random intensity error.

In this research, the susceptibility of the phase-shifting algorithms to the random intensity error is formulated and estimated. The susceptibility of the random intensity error of conventional windowed phase-shifting algorithms is discussed, and the 7N-6 phase-shifting algorithm is developed to minimize the random intensity error using the characteristic polynomial theory. Finally, the surface shape of the transparent wedge plate is measured using a wavelength-tuning Fizeau interferometer and the 7N-6 algorithm. The experimental results indicate that the surface shape measurement accuracy for the transparent plate is 2.5 nm.