Droplet characteristic measurement in Fourier interferometry imaging and behavior at the rainbow angle

This paper presents the possibility of measuring the three-dimensional (3D) relative locations and diameters of a set of spherical particles and discusses the behavior of the light recorded around the rainbow angle, an essential step toward refractive index measurements. When a set of particles is illuminated by a pulsed incident wave, the particles act as spherical light wave sources. When the pulse duration is short enough to fix the particle location (typically about 10 ns), interference fringes between these different spherical waves can be recorded. The Fourier transform of the fringes divides the complex fringe systems into a series of spots, with each spot characterizing the interference between a pair of particles. The analyses of these spots (in position and shape) potentially allow the measurement of particle characteristics (3D relative position, particle diameter, and particle refractive index value).