Interferometry based on Lau effect with a grating registered in a photorefractive crystal

The use of a grating in the form of modulation of birefringence in a BSO crystal in a novel Lau interferometer set-up is proposed. The system behaves as a conventional Lau interferometer implemented by using two amplitude gratings. Moreover, it permits control of the visibility and provides a contrast inversion of the interferometric fringes by rotating a polarizer. Two alternative experimental arrangements with similar performance are presented. A theoretical approach is outlined and the predicted behavior is confirmed by results obtained under different experimental conditions.