Detection of optical vortices using cyclic, rotational and reversal shearing interferometers

In this paper, the determination of the topological charge of the vortex beams by means of shearing interferometry was achieved, for both common and non-common path shearing interferometers, using simple yet effective optical elements. The recording and analysis of interference patterns from different setups was accomplished using: cyclic, rotational and reversal shearing interferometers. The use of cyclic and rotational shearing interferometers resulted in interference patterns with two oppositely oriented forks for both setups. However, with the reversal shearing interferometer, a single forked pattern was obtained and a mathematical approximation was deduced.