NOVA UNIVERSITY OF LISBON

DEPARTAMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PROCESSOS AVANCADOS DE FABRICO E ENSAIOS

NAO DESTRUCTIVOS

PROFESOR : Jos Miquel Cabeas

HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY (HI)

SHEAROGRAPHY

STUDENT : Alexandru Marian Dnil

Andrei Marcu
Ionu - Cosmin Vlase

2012 / 2013

1. INTRODUCTION
Alterations on structural and mechanical properties of artworks are an important factor of
deterioration causing slow but steady disintegration of physical characteristics. The effects of
thermal and moisture processes, transportation and handling, various conservation and
restoration actions, as well as the display arrangement may influence systematically or rapidly
the condition of the concerned artwork, monument or antiquity. A substantial tool to help
conservation researchers and practitioners to visualize the invisible but constant disintegration
process has been introduced by the use of lasers as applied by the principles of holography and
holographic interferometry.
The visualization of small or inborn discontinuities in the bulk and their consequences on the
mechanical instability of the artwork construction can thus be optically and digitally obtained.
The holographic technology does not use the irradiance penetration it is instead based on surface
reflection of safely diffused laser beams. The involved in structural diagnosis holography and
related techniques do not require any sample removal or surface preparation and are completely
safe for varnishes and pigments. In the context of the above reasons the techniques are titled non
destructive, non contacting and non invasive.
The methodology to visualize the influences of interest and the matching defects is based on
differential displacement provoked in time by two slightly different positions of the reflecting
surface of interest. The provoked displacement signifies a relative optical path change in the
reflecting beams that is optically or digitally converted to a signal of bright and dark patterned
outline. The obtained pattern is the encoded response of the examined artwork indicating
through the bright and dark uniform or not distribution its conservation state.
The general range of applications of laser interference is remarkable with foremost important
the invention of holographic interferometry which serves as a scientific and engineering tool at
many fields for which it is uniquely suited and recognized [1-3]. The development of
holographic interferometry has also influenced the development of several closely related
measurement techniques based also on the use of laser light including speckle photography and
interferometry, holographic phototelasticity, projected fringe techniques, holographic contour
generation, holographic techniques incorporating television systems, phase shifting and
wavefront shearing [4-7]. The theory, practice and application of the techniques are very close
and often complementary to holographic interferometry, which may serve as reference to the
field of structural diagnosis in art conservation in which applications are still developing.
It was holographic interferometry that was first applied to detect subsurface damage in
Donatello statue in Veniceand in fifteenth-century panel painting [8,9], introducing the optical
coherent interference measurement as a novel and alternative information source in analysis of
structural condition. Structural subsurface information in terms of visually exhibited systems
of fringe patterns qualitatively and quantitatively evident could be produced by complex surfaces
and three-dimensional shapes.

Defected regions become revealed in isolated discontinuous regions in contrast to overall

continuous distribution of the interference fringe system and then could be accurately located,
sized at one to one scale, and restored.

1.1 INTERFEROMETRY
2. PRINCIPLES OF LASER HOLOGRAPHY
The ability of holographic techniques to visualize subsurface anomalies and their effects on
structural condition from surface information without using any penetrating irradiation is found
on the high information content of the method based on the unique property of holography to
generate a record of phase distribution from surface reflected beams. Phase is a fundamental
light property as is the amplitude, polarization, wavelength; but is a property which due to the
high light frequencies (~10 14 Hz) can be captured only by using two identical highly coherent in
time and space laser beams which are capable of producing by minor phase changes of the order
of fractions of wavelength the desirable interference effects.
This interference principle forms a fundamental difference between photography and
holography. Photography records only the average in time amplitude distribution of reflecting
light whereas holography records all light information amplitude and phase (explaining its name
holo = all and graphy = record). The result is a high density record of object information in threedimensional spatial coordinates with distinct optical properties with most influential in this
application the paraxial viewing, thus observing a 3D scene by changing the viewing angle, at
full vertical and horizontal parallax and one to one scale for image-to-object reproduction. If the
record is repeated after sometime while the object is slightly altered e.g. due to a temporal
increase on its temperature, its phase characteristics are also slightly altered affecting the
reflecting phase carrying beam. When the two records are reconstructed and spatially
superimposed all minor phase alterations are visualized in the form of intensity distributions as
the known bright and dark fringes of interference phenomenon.
This is the technique of holographic interferometry which is used to visualize the structural
condition. It is achievable when an existent subsurface anomaly or mechanically stressed area
respond differently to the thermal alteration than the rest of the object. This differential response
is getting visualized as an anomalous localized distribution of interference fringes producing thus
own interference fringe pattern. Therefore the number of localized fringe patterns found in one
holographic interferogram is a measure of objects defects. A uniform fringe distribution
represents a satisfactory conservation state whereas an interrupted represents a state of
disintegration relevant to the amount of revealed object defectiveness.
The mathematical expression of the above can be found in wave optics for linearly polarized
monochromatic light equations. Holography is a technique to reproduce light waves and the

signal of interest is found in the object wave since it carries the information of the object.
Additionally a second beam is recorded simultaneously to realize the interference effect which is
called reference beam since it is the original beam from the laser source without any induced
modulation. The result is an intensity variation of bright and dark fringes, thus varies between
maximum and minimum values of brightness, known as fringe pattern. Dark fringes are contours
of constant phase difference of odd-integer multiples of p and bright fringes of even-integer
multiples of p.
In application to interferometry slight deformations primarily affect the phase and thus the
quantity of prime interest the phase shift is expressed as intensity fluctuations with phase
difference between two records of the object measured by Df=2pN=Nl/2, where N integer
measured by the peaks of fringe pattern along an axis revealing the relation of the shift to the
physical quantity inducing the optical path alteration and thus the object displacement, and l the
laser wavelength.
The working procedure after the setup alignment is completed for the case of double
exposure recording starts with the first capture of the initial object state as shown in Tab. 2.1.
Then an excitation is applied which for artwork inspection thermal is well suited provoking
variety of material displacement which allows better defect visualization. An indicative table of
excitation duration is shown in Tab. 2.2. After the induced excitation has been applied then a
second exposure with equal time duration as the initial is recorded on the same photosensitive
medium. The holographic interferogram is thus recorded and the chemical development follows.

Tab. 2.1. Recording procedure

Steps

Procedure

1st step

Align the artwork to reflect the laser beam to the photosensitive medium
where also the reference beam is directed in an angle

2nd step

Place a white card or a photometer to balance the intensity between the

beams

3rd step

Block off the beams and allow the system to settle from vibrations

4th step

Unblock the beams for the 1st exposure for time relevant to the total
brightness estimated (the lower the brightness the higher the exposure time
required)

5th step

Turn on the thermal lamp or any device to induce transient displacement

6th step

Unblock the beams for the 2 nd exposure for equal time as in 1st exposure

Tab. 2.2. Indicative thermally induced excitation

Thermal excitation
with IR lamp, sec

Initial
Temperature
To, oC

Final Temperature
T1, oC

Temperature Difference

24.9

25.7

0.8

25.2

26.4

1.2

25.6

27.7

2.1

26.2

28.6

2.4

27.10

30.8

3.4

26.2

30

3.8

12

26.5

31.3

4.8

15

26.3

32.1

5.8

T=T1-T0

A basic geometry to realize a holographic interference record is shown in schematic

arrangement of Fig. 2.1. The laser source L emits a linearly polarized plane wave of
wavelength l. The beam is split by BS an optical element called Beam Splitter and two beams are
emerged in BS output. The reference beam RB is expanded by an optical system for beam
expansion which is usually consists of a diverging and collimating lens BEXC or a SF spatial
filter to diverge and clean the beam, at a desired divergence depending on object size and laser
power, and by Mirror M1 is directed to fall in the photosensitive medium where the hologram H
is to be formed. The object beam OB is expanded by a diverging lens or BEX or SF and is
directed by mirror M2 to illuminate the object and then to coincide in time and space with the
RB in order to form an invisible interference pattern which is the hologram to be recorded at
medium H. An object can be put on the final branch of the beam path of OB either in a
transmitted as shown or reflecting way by an additional reflecting mirror. In either case the total
beam path between OB and RB should be equal. The procedure to form a hologram can be
repeated twice and in between a thermal gradient cause by any thermal emission device e.g.
thermal lamp or a hot-air gun has affected the object producing a displacement at all object
points- The displacement is very small of the order of same multiples of wavelength but efficient

to reveal hidden discontinuities in the bulk of the object exactly because the measurement scale
is of the order of half wavelengths.

Holographic interferometry experiments require a stable ideally vibration isolated table

and magnetic holders for optic and mechanical components in order to isolate any irrelevant
movement which may affect the clear displacement of the object. In case of pulsed laser as
illumination source for recording the requirement is minimized but the operator should foreseen
to isolate any extraneous rigid body motion during and between the pulses. Formation of
unwanted fringes is a characteristic consequence effect of the sensitivity provided. Attention
should be given to keep an aspect ratio between the intensities of reference and object beam
ideally 1:1 or maximum 1:10. The intensities are measured by a photometer or visually estimated
at the recording plane.

Fig. 2.1 Schematical optical arrangement for recording a hologram. In the scheme the object beam is transmitted
through the hypotheatic object placed at a distance sfter the BEX in OB path. If for opaque objects the beam is
instead directed to be reflected from the object towards the H plane where is getting superimposed with the RB.

The same arrangement for double exposure holographic interferometry can also be used
for recording a single hologram.

3. CASE STUDIES
3.1.

Optical Holographic Interferometry

Holographic interferometry non destructive testing (HINDT) has been well introduced as
technique in a number of applications in art conservation research [8,9,11-18]. Mostly known for
the facility provided to reveal invisible to other available practices defects it was established

as an application of primal interest among art conservation and optical metrology fields. In this
context, a defect map extracted from a panel painting is used to demonstrate the unique potential
of the technique as a structural diagnosis tool.
The painting shown in Fig. 3.1.2 is Saint Sebastian attributed to Rafael and belongs to the
National Gallery of Athens.

Fig. 3.1.2 Painting of Saint Sebastian on wood (left image) and its holographic interferogram (right image).

The painting was examined by the double exposure technique in stable laboratory
environment with controlled thermal excitation and surface monitoring. The random high
reflectivity of the varnish layer caused localized contrast loss obstructing the capturing of a
normalized intensity photographic image. The interest operator notes that the overall uniform
bright and dark fringe formation -or fringe pattern- due to its overall uniform response to the
temperature alteration is locally interrupted by smaller fringe patterns generated by various
subsurface discontinuities. The next step is to locate and isolate by zooming in to those
discontinuities in order to extract those patterns so that at the final step only defects are seen,
some characteristic ones are shown in Fig. 3.1.3

Fig. 3.1.3 Defects are extracted and location, size and morphology can be studied.

After the defects have been isolated and thus only the areas of the painting with a
revealed anomaly are visualized, as shown in Figure 3.1.4, the restorer has obtained a map with
the endangered areas. Defect location, size and morphology can be studied in great detail. Not
any other conventional or not method except holographic recording can provide invisible
information in such great detail and fidelity. In x-ray investigation is simply uncovered the
existence of nails, cracks and holes but detailing and other defects primarily due to detachments
between the layers, voids in solids, loss of material, or propagation of cracks and worms, are all
remain hidden from x-ray imaging.

Fig.3.1.4 The painting of Saint Sebastian , HINDT revels defect in high fidelity that a painting can be
studied with thorough knowledge provided by its priority risk map assessment. (Inhomogeneous varnish and
material-random shape and box)

The colours have been extracted by mean fringe value -measured by multiplying by half
wavelength of the laser used the total number of bright fringes and averaging over various
viewpoints starting from frame edge- from the overall painting displacement. From green being
equal to the overall displacement to red being more far than the overall displacement. This
attempt forms a priority risk map as the fringes of holographic interferometry indicate.

3.2.

Speckle Holographic Interferometry

Holographic interferometry can be also used for outside laboratory applications due to the
development of Speckle Holographic Interferometry techniques which are using as a recording
medium a CCD instead of film as a photosensitive medium. In Tab. 3.4.3 characteristic features

of CCD sensor for Speckle interferometry are shown. The recording geometry follows the
principles of as well as the working procedure of double exposure holographic interferometry.

Tab. 3.2.1. Employed specification of CCD as sensor.

Sensor Size (WxH) mm

10.2 x 8.3

Pixels (WxH)

1392 x 1040

Pixel Size (WxH) m

6.45 x 6.45

FOV:

30 cm
80 cm

For in-situ applications, under the framework of the EC project LASERACT coordinated
from the author of the chapter (EVK4-CT-2002-00096, coordinator IESL/FORTH-GR,
partnership: BIAS-DL, UNIPVM-IT, INFLRP-RO, ENVIROCOUSTICS-GR,
ARTINNOVATION-NL, MMRI-ML, LRMH-FR, PROOPTICA-RO), a digital speckle HINDT
system was developed using as laser source a custom made pulsed laser (INFLRP-RO).
The system allowed investigation of monuments in extreme outside laboratory conditions
such as Floriana fortifications in Malta (COST G7 partner and partner of LASERACT project)
with the aim to assess the condition and age differentiation of stone. In the Fig. 3.4.5 the
laboratory transportable prototype at the restoration unit is shown that was transferred to
examine El Greco paintings for detachment effects on surface, and the final developed system on
action in Malta which is currently under pre-industrial construction by consortium developers
(ARTINNOVATION-NL, INFLRP-RO, PROOPTICA-RO).

Fig.3.2.1 CW Digital Speckle Holographic Interferometry (DSH) (conservation lab. Benaki Museum,
Athens) and pulsed DSHI for in situ applications (St. Johns co-Cathedral, Malta)

The results of the developed system both in continuous wave and pulse mode of exposure
have proven successful for revealing defects inside conservation laboratories and on-field. An
example of numerically reconstructed detachment from an on-field operation in a tomb in
Costanza (INOE coordination in CULTURE 2000/Advanced on-site laboratories, and COST G7
member) is shown.
The deleterious effects on the surface of the wall painting of unknown or difficult to be
extracted defects such as extended detachments in multilayer structure became apparent at the
discontinuity of the fringe system. The remote capability of such systems generally may vary but
given the high coherent laser sources used for this application can be at least at 0.5 m distance
from the interesting target, thus with a recording procedure lasting few seconds at each position
and a beam divergence which also varies but even with low energy lasers due to high sensitivity
of recording mediums (both films and CCDs) can be min 30 cm diameter, one can synthesize the
whole surface response of endangered wall paintings to reveal detached regions without the need
for scaffolding and without having to carry heavy, massive or hazardous instrumentation.

4. CONCLUSION
The development of lasers and the early envisage of the non destructive and non contacting
techniques of holographic interferometry for structural diagnosis in art conservation applications
enabled the research on new tools and practices for cultural heritage preservation and protection.
The need for accurate, repeatable and detailed analysis of structural condition opened the field to
optical and digital laser metrology methods which may introduce a new era in art conservation
practices and profession. Nowadays expansion of holography counterparts allows also
investigation on monuments and sites. The adaptability of the fundamental principles, geometries

and procedures is very promising for standardization protocols for world wide application of
laser metrology tools in art conservation field.