Fractional fringe determination

We can determine the isochromatic fringe order to the nearest ½ order by using
both dark and bright field arrangements of polarisope
In order to achieve higher accuracy for fringe order determination mainly
following methods used:
1. Compensation techniques
2. Colour matching techniques
3. Equidensometric method
Compensation techniques

 Compensation is a technique in which partial modification of relative

retardation either by addition or subtraction is brought about so that frictional
order at a point becomes integral.
 Then by knowing the amount of relative retardation added or substracted the
actual fringe order at that point can be ascertained.
The following method of compensation techniques are
most commonly used:

1. The Bainet Compensation Method

2. The Babinet Soleil Compensation Method
3. Tension Or Compression Strip Method
4. Tardy Method Of Compensation
5. Senarmount Method Of Compensation
6. Photometric Method
The Babinet Compensation Method
• The Babinet compensator uses two wedges of
quarts, which is a naturally double refracting
material.
• As shown in Figure, one of the wedges is fixed in the
instrument, while the other can be displaced
relative to the first so as to alter combined thickness
by means of a fine micrometer screw with
graduated drum head. With micrometer screw at
zero, the compensator is said to be in the neutral
position.
• The compensator is placed in the polariscope in
between the model and second quarter wave
plate. The optic axis of the two wedges are
orthogonal to each other. The polarized light beam
in one and retarded in the other wedge.
 2. The Babinet Soleil Compensation Method
• The Babinet-Soleil compensator shown in figure is an
improvement upon the Babinet compensator. This
instrument consists of a quartz plate of uniform
thickness and two quartz wedges.
• The optical axes of the quartz crystals employed in the
plate and the wedges are mutually orthogonal. The
birefringence exhibited by the compensator can be
controlled by adjusting the thickness of the two
wedges by turning a calibrated micrometer screw.
When t1 = t2, no relative retardation takes place,
however for t2 <t
• > 1, both positive and negative retardation can be
produced over the whole area of the compensator
plate. This compensator is very useful for measuring
boundary stresses.
 Tension or Compression Strip Method
• In a standard circular polariscope, at an isotropic point the
fringe order is always zero. Based upon this fact a method
for the determination of (σ1 - σ2) has been suggested by
Wethein and developed by Coker.
• In this method a pure tensile or compressive stress is
superimposed over an arbitrary system of σ1 and σ2 in such a
way as to convert the given stress system into one which is
optically equivalent to an isotropic point. White light is
exclusively used in this method.
• The plane stress system at a point can be converted to an
isotropic system plus a tension of (σ1 - σ2). A tension
compensator may be placed parallel to the minimum stress
σ2 and the compression compensator must be placed
parallel to the maximum stress σ1. The value of (σ1 - σ3)
equals numerically the stress in the compensator at
extinction. If the fringe order at a point by placing a tension
compensator increases, then that point is having tensile
stress.
Figure: Superposition of retardation
exhibited by model and compensator
 3. The Tardy Method of Compensation.
• The Tardy method of compensator is generally
preferred over the Babinet-Soleil method since no
auxiliary equipment is required and the analyzer of the
polariscope serves as the compensator.
• In this method the polarizer of the polariscope is
aligned with the direction of the principal stress σ1 at
the point of interest and all other elements of the
polariscope are rotated relative to the polarizer so that
a standard dark-field polariscope exists. Then the
analyser alone is rotated to obtain extinction. The
rotation of the analyser gives the fractional fringe
order.
• Figure: Illustration of Tardy method of fringe order
determination

Figure: Illustration of Tardy method of fringe order determination

• 1. The angle of analyzed ra = 0 [Fig (a)].

• 2. Rotate the analyzer until the fringe N just touches
the boundary at the point of interest. This is angle rb.
[Fig (b)].
• Continue to rotate the analyzer until N vanishes from
the field of view. This is angle rc [Fig.]
• Then the fringe order at the point of interest of the free
boundary is
•

• This method is commonly referred to as the Tardy in-out

method
5. The Senarmont Method of Compensation.
• Remove first quarter wave plate.
• Rotate system of polarizer and analyzer so that their
axes make angles of 45° with the principal directions
in the modal at the point of interest.
• Rotate second quarter-wave plate until one axis is
parallel to the axis of the polarizer.
• Rotate the analyzer until extinction is obtained at
the point of interest.