Full-field characterization of liquid crystal devices with geometrical correction for thick samples

We present a full-field interferometric method for simultaneous measurement of thickness deformations and birefringence in liquid crystal (LC) layers. The approach employs a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with Temporal Phase Shifting (TPS) technique, to deliver spatially resolved, voltage-dependent characterization—avoiding the limitations of point-based or averaged measurement methods. A key innovation is the correction of geometrical thickness variations using zero-voltage reference data, which enables accurate birefringence extraction from non-uniform samples. The method is validated by a numerical model incorporating typical deformation profiles and liquid crystal 6CHBT material parameters, achieving a good agreement with the model (R² = 0.999991). Experimental results on both mono-pixel structures and complex LC elements demonstrate the technique’s robustness and precision in mapping opto-electric properties of spatially non-uniform LC cells.