Abstract: An interferometric optical analyzer apparatus comprises a light source, an interferometer and a detection system for determining the linear response, and subsequently any optical parameter, of one or more optical elements using substantially unpolarized light. In one embodiment, the light source supplies substantially unpolarized coherent light over a predetermined range of optical frequencies. The optical element is coupled in one arm of the interferometer and the other arm of the interferometer is used as a reference. The unpolarized light is first passed through the interferometer then through a three-way polarization splitter unit to split the light into at least three light beams according to preselected polarization axes corresponding to three linearly independent states of polarization. The three light beams are coupled to individual detectors and a controller computes Jones matrix elements from the resulting electrical signals.