In some applications, the critical need is to image or measure a larger area of a sample in one measurement. In 2005, Hinds Instruments and CRi partnered to provide CRi’s patented imaging technology, the Abrio™, for industrial metrology applications involving transparent and reflective materials.

Abrio imaging systems offer a fast and accurate way to determine birefringence in glass, optical materials, fibers, polymers and coated metals. The system can also determine the orientation of the retardation, which can be used to assess whether the stress is tensile or compressive in origin.

The system is used to map retardance (in nanometers) and slow-axis orientation as grayscale images. Data per pixel are automatically calculated and saved with each image for easy analysis and post processing. The Abrio Imaging System automates the process of quantitative polarization microscopy and accurately calculates the retardance magnitude and orientation at every pixel of a CCD image within seconds.

Here are a few of the applications for which imaging technology can be used to measure samples.

Application: Stress in Optical Fiber


IMAGE:  Screen-shot of Abrio software.  A) Processed Retardance Image of Optical Fiber with cross-section line-scan and per pixel stamps of retardance magnitude (nm). B) Live Camera View




IMAGE:   Abrio Image of optical fiber preform cross-section showing retardance distrubution in pseudo-color.  Retardance scale = 0 - 80nm

Application: Stress retardance distribution in liquid crystal cells

IMAGE:    Abrio Image of liquid crystal cell.  Pseudo-color of retardance.  Retardance scale = 0 - 273nm

Application: Reflected birefringence of deposited films

             

IMAGE: Film deposition on a silicon chip with grayscale, pseudocolor and vector overlays

SUGGESTED SYSTEMS:
Abrio Macro
Abrio Micro