Common-path interferometry with one-dimensional periodic filters

We discuss a spatial filtering interferometry setup that employs a periodic spatial filter with either cosine transmittance or binary phase modulation. The setup's input plane is formed by two separate windows, one of which supports a phase object and the other, a reference beam. Using the appropriate frequency and orientation of the filter produces an interference pattern of the two input fields at the output plane of the system. The main attributes and advantages of the setup are discussed and experimentally illustrated with the example of a binary phase periodic filter implemented with a spatial light modulator. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America