面向天基引力波探测的时间延迟干涉技术

时间延迟干涉技术(Time-delay Interferometry,TDI)对中国引力波探测项目及其它天基激光精密测量任务具有重要的参考价值。在天基引力波探测任务中,需利用激光干涉仪对无拖曳检验质量块间实现十皮米量级的位移测量精度。其中,激光源频率噪声和时钟频率噪声是两项主要噪声。在欧洲主导的LISA(Laser Interferometer Space Antenna)引力波探测项目中,利用TDI对三星上的十二组相位测量值进行延迟和线性组合,构造出臂长相等的干涉仪,从而消除了激光源噪声以及光学平台位移噪声。为了消除时钟噪声,将时钟信号倍频到GHz,再通过相位调制的方式加载到星间激光链路上,最终从时钟边带拍频信号中提取出时钟噪声,并在TDI的数据组合中将时钟噪声项消除。为了实现TDI的时间延迟处理,要求对星间绝对距离进行精确测量。因此,在TDI机制中,星间激光链路需要同时实现位移测量、时钟边带调制和绝对距离测量3个功能。其中,后两个功能分别大约消耗10%和1%的载波激光功率。LISA项目针对TDI技术的地面论证结果表明,TDI技术对激光源和时钟的噪声抑制分别达到了109和5.8×104倍。     

HL-2M 装置固态亚毫米波干涉系统研制

发展了一套固态亚毫米波外差干涉系统和一种基于全相位快速傅里叶变换(apFFT)的相位处理方法用 于测量 HL-2M 初始等离子体电子密度。该系统采用平面型二极管倍频技术对低频的锁相微波源进行高次倍频以 产生功率大于 0.1MW、频率 306.9GHz 的探测波。基于 apFFT 的相位处理数值算法可以从原始信号中提取相位信 息,缓解由可能的高水平密度扰动导致的相位跳变。系统的固有时间分辨率为 5μs,电子密度测量范围在 10¹⁶~10²⁰m⁻³。在 HL-2M 装置首次实验期间,该系统被安装在中平面上,利用装置内壁反射实现干涉测量,成功 测量了线平均电子密度。      

基于低双折射光子晶体光纤Sagnac干涉仪的超低温度系数扭曲传感器

研究了低双折射光子晶体光纤中由光纤扭曲造成的圆双折射效应,并应用Sagnac干涉仪结构设计了扭曲传感器.在Sagnac环中的光子晶体光纤上施加机械压力引入初始线双折射并产生正弦干涉光谱,再扭曲光纤产生圆双折射使干涉光谱随扭曲角度移动.光谱峰值波长随扭曲角度变化符合Sinc函数关系,理论分析与实验相符.传感器灵敏度为1....     

非接触法自动测量薄膜厚度

根据白光等厚干涉原理,基于单片机改造的迈氏干涉仪用于自动测量透明薄膜厚度,采用非接触性测量法。当迈克尔逊干涉仪静镜形成的虚像与动镜相交所成的夹角很小时,在光屏上看到彩色干涉条纹,插入薄膜后,光程差改变,彩纹消失。步进电机带动微调手轮转动,当彩纹再次出现,即可得出透明薄膜厚度。     

Influence of transverse effects on coherence length measurements using two-beam interferences

It has been demonstrated in a previous work (Opt. Commun. 233 (2004) 39-43), for a monochromatic laser beam, that imperfect collimation leads to systematic errors in the determination of the spectral bandwidth of a Gaussian beam. In this work, we demonstrate that such transverse effects could also make wrong the measurement of the coherence length of a non-monochromatic Gaussian beam. In addition, we have demonstrated that this systematic error is increased when the laser beam under study is made up of a mixing of spatial modes.     

Polarization beam splitter based on photonic crystal self-collimation Mach-Zehnder interferometer

A polarization beam splitter based on a self-collimation Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SMZI) in a hole-type silicon photonic crystal was proposed and numerically demonstrated. Utilizing polarization dependence of the transmission spectra of the SMZI and polarization peak matching (PPM) method, the SMZI can work as a polarization beam splitter (PBS) by selecting appropriate path length difference in the structure. Because of its intrinsic operating principle, the PBS possesses high polarization extinction ratios (PERs). As its dimensions are only several operating wavelengths, the PBS may have practical applications in photonic integrated circuits.     

Estimation of the degree of asphericity of a glass sphere using a vectorial shearing interferometer

The degree of asphericity is estimated by determining the average radius of curvature in different sections, at various points on the surface of a sphere, and the deviation from it. We employ the vectorial shearing interferometer (VSI) as the instrument to determine the radius of curvature from two subapertures of the transparent glass sphere. We incorporate the sphere as a thick lens into the interferometric setup, illuminating it with an expanded beam. The spherical aberration, introduced by the sphere in the wave front, depends on the local sphere radius, on the refraction index of the glass, and on the cone angle of the source. The wave front aberrated by the sphere impinges on the VSI. Here, the wave front is divided in two in amplitude, it is sheared vectorially, and it is superimposed with itself. The fringe pattern is formed in the intersection of the wave fronts. The shape of the resulting fringe pattern is directly related to spherical aberration. We estimate qualitatively the degree of asphericity, comparing the phase gradients in different sections of the sphere. Here, we report on the experimental setup to test the asphericity, the results with different vectorial shearing (magnitude and direction). Finally, we perform a comparison with the theoretical predictions.     

Simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature with a long-period fiber grating inscribed Sagnac interferometer

A Sagnac interferometer with a long-period fiber grating (LPG) inscribed in the polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature. Due to the different responses of the LPG and the Sagnac interferometer to strain and temperature, simultaneous measurement can be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shifts and the intensity changes of a resonance dip of the sensor setup. The experimental results show that the achieved sensitivities to strain and temperature are 6.4 × 10^− 3 dB/με and 0.65 nm/°C, respectively.     

Two-dimensional cell parameters measurement of nematic liquid crystal using optical interferometry and Fourier transform fringe analysis technique

We report a method for the measurement of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell parameters i.e., switching voltage, birefringence, retardation, dielectric anisotropy, average tilt angle and change in refractive index with applied DC voltage to LC material. The proposed method is based on optical interferometry and Fourier transform fringe analysis technique, in which we obtain 2-dimensional (2D) phase map of the interferograms as a function of applied voltage. Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) was used for the study of cell parameters and interferograms were recorded at different applied DC voltages to NLC cell using CCD camera. From the phase map, 2D-refractive index distribution of the LC cell with applied voltage was reconstructed. Analytical equations are derived based on optical interferometry and then solved to obtain cell parameters. The present method is fast and can give 2D-cell parameters from only two quick interferograms.     

Instantaneous frequency measurement based on complementary microwave photonic filters with a shared Mach-Zehnder interferometer

A novel configuration using only one Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) for photonic-assisted instantaneous microwave frequency measurement is proposed. The amplitude comparison function (ACF), related to the input microwave frequency while independent of the input optical power and modulate index, is achieved by using a ratio of low-pass to bandpass frequency responses introduced by intensity and phase modulation with a shared MZI. The microwave frequency can be estimated by the measured ACF. A proof-of-concept experiment for measurement of RF from 5 to 10 GHz is successfully demonstrated with the measurement errors less than ± 0.2 GHz.