Synchronous frequency-shift mechanism in fizeau interferometer

• Main Authors: NORTH-MORRIS MICHAEL, MILLERD JAMES E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2013
• Subjects: MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING

An optical device for characterizing a test surface combines a Fizeau interferometer with a polarization frequency-shifting element. Two substantially collinear, orthogonally polarized beams having respective frequencies differing by a predetermined frequency shift are generated by the polarization frequency-shifting element and projected into the Fizeau optical cavity to produce a pair of test beams and a pair of reference beams, wherein the beams in each pair have orthogonal polarization states and have frequencies differing by the predetermined frequency shift. A second, substantially equal frequency shift is introduced in the Fizeau cavity on either one of the pairs of test and reference beams, thereby generating a four-beam collinear output that produces an interferogram without tilt or short-coherence light. The invention may also be implemented by reversing the order of the Fizeau cavity and the polarization frequency-shifting element in the optical train.