Holographic interferometry with the compact arrowhead holographic setup.

A symmetric off-axis holographic setup, shaped as an arrowhead, which requires neither a collimator nor a beam splitter, is presented. It is applied to measure small perpendicular-to-surface displacements and deformations and the magnetostriction of a body by holographic interferometry. It offers advantages such as implicit fulfilment of several hologram recording conditions, possible use of short coherence length light sources, low-cost, and significant immunity against mechanical perturbations.