Abstract:
A rotational shearing interferometer is a modification of the
Michelson’s interferometer to obtain the spatial coherence of the light
waves. It is mainly used for obtaining diffraction limited images of
astronomical objects; through the turbulent atmosphere of the Earth.
The fabrication of a solid rotational shearing interferometer with a
fixed rotational shear of 180º is described. Also the use of the
interferometer, for testing the aberrations of a telescope is described.
