An Experimental Verification of a New Theory for the Interpretation of Holographic Interference Patterns Resulting from Static Surface Displacements

General equations describing holographic fringe patterns have been derived in an earlier publication. In this paper an experimental investigation of the equations is described. The fringe patterns resulting from known surface displacements are observed from two positions and the measured fringe spacings are compared with those predicted theoretically. Two forms of displacement are considered: (i) rigid-body translations, (ii) linear displacement gradients. Results indicate that experimental observations are in close agreement with those predicted theoretically. The observation of plane strain is demonstrated in order to give a practical example of a problem involving a combination of the displacement classes (i) and (ii).