The optical activity, birefringence and the indicatrix rotation of a (001) sample of (N(CH₃)₄)₂ZnCl₄ are measured in the high-temperature, incommensurate and partly lock-in phases with a new high-accuracy null polarimeter. The optical properties are shown to be sensitive to the annealing and X-irradiation of a sample via the defect concentration changes. The results can be explained by consideration of a modulated gyration tensor in the incommensurate phase, using the idea of modulation wave distortions imposed by defects.