Enhanced sensitivity digital holographic interferometry

Corona discharges are generally characterized by a low optical density whose detection is often near or under the limits of interferometric techniques. In this paper, we propose a method of digital holographic interferometry that enables detection with enhanced sensitivity. This sensitivity increase is obtained by post-processing the digital holographic recordings with a set of point-wise image operations. The procedure is described mathematically and illustrated experimentally. Examples are given for an opaque object and for DC corona discharges generated in the symmetrical point-plane geometry.