Phase-shifted dynamic speckle pattern interferometry at 1 kHz

We describe a phase-shifting out-of-plane speckle interferometer operating at 1 kHz for studying dynamic events. The system is based on a Pockels cell that is synchronized to a high-speed video camera to ensure that the phase shifting occurs between frames. Phase extraction is performed by use of a standard four-frame algorithm, and temporal phase unwrapping allows sequences of several hundred absolute (rather than relative) displacement maps to be obtained fully automatically. The maximum theoretical surface velocity of 67 microm s(-1) is a factor of 40 greater than can be achieved with a speckle interferometer based on a conventional video camera. We test the system using a target that is displaced with constant speed in a direction normal to its surface by means of a piezoelectric transducer. The system's performance in a practical situation is illustrated with measurements on a thin plate undergoing out-of-plane deformation.