A new optical scheme of an absolute distance measuring interferometer with a variable optical frequency has been suggested. In this scheme the contrary beams from reference (stabilized) and measuring (tunable) lasers are used that allows in a simple optical design to ensure both the length measurement and the elimination of an optical path difference fluctuations influence. Usually these two functions are carried out by two channels of the variable optical frequency interferometer--measuring and control channels, each of which is, in essence, an independent separate interferometer with its own optical components. The usage of the contrary beams principle gives a possibility to construct both channels mentioned in the same optical components, providing essential simplification of the interferometer optical design.

Date Published: 1 March 1994
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 2004, Interferometry VI: Applications, (1 March 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.172607

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2004:
Interferometry VI: Applications
Ryszard J. Pryputniewicz; Gordon M. Brown; Werner P. O. Jueptner, Editor(s)