Optics imperfection is one of the fundamental errors that produce periodic nonlinearities which limits displacement measurement accuracy with heterodyne interferometers. A corner cube-based retroreflector is commonly used to increase measuring resolution, but it causes changes to incident polarization that introducing the two-frequency mixing. A mathematical model of periodic nonlinearities is established, taking into account of those facts for a double-pass interferometer, for analyzing and design. To minimize the periodic nonlinearity caused by the corner cube, we propose a polarization-maintaining retroreflector (PMR) instead of a common one. The theoretical analysis shows that the PMR can reduce the periodic nonlinearity caused by the corner cube in heterodyne interferometers significantly. Furthermore, polarization leakage coefficients and total periodic nonlinearities measurements are carried out to verify the performances of the PMR. Experimental results indicate that the periodic nonlinearity decreases from 8 to 2 nm after the normal corner cube is replaced by the PMR, and their periods of the phase shifts are consistent with the theoretical analysis.