Phase unwrapping by regions using least-squares approach

An algebraic method based on finding least-squares solutions from a set of simultaneous linear equations (SLEs) is applied to phase unwrapping by regions in optical interferometry. By transforming the phase unwrapping problem into a matrix equation, the characteristics of the phase map can be observed entirely from the properties, such as the rank or the null space, of the matrix that represents the phase unwrap- ping problem. The familiarity of solving SLEs using common numerical routines such as QR decomposition means that the algebraic method is easily formulated and computed. The robustness of the phase- unwrapping method is then tested computationally and experimentally and its enhancement is proven through the simulation and experimental results.