Passively stabilized single-photon interferometer

A single-photon interferometer is a fundamental element in quantum information science. In most previously reported works, single-photon interferometers use an active feedback locking system to stabilize the relative phase between two arms of the interferometer. Here, we use a pair of beam displacers to construct a passively stable single-photon interferometer. The relative phase stabilization between the two arms is achieved by stabilizing the temperature of the beam displacers. A purely polarized single-photon-level pulse is directed into the interferometer input port. By analyzing and measuring the polarization states of the single-photon pulse at the output port, the achieved polarization fidelity of the interferometer is about 99.1 ±0.1%. Our passively stabilized single-photon interferometer provides a key element for generating high-fidelity entanglement between a photon and atomic memory.     

Measurement of in-plane motions and rotations using a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer

We describe the construction and operation of a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer which is sensitive to in-plane motions and rotations. The interferometer is extremely simple and easy to use. It uses a commercial digital still camera for image acquisition, and a personal computer for image storage and analysis. The interferometer was used to measure very small in-plane rotations of a rough surface, and the results were found to be in good agreement with the expected values. We propose to use this system as an instrument for the measurement of small-angle rotations.     

Robust one-beam interferometer with phase-delay control

A robust one-beam interferometer with external phase-delay control is described. The device resembles a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in which the two arms are together in one collimated beam. However, the proposed device is not an amplitude-division interferometer but a wave-front division one. The phase-delay control occurs at the interferometer output with the help of two polarizing beam splitters, a quarter-wave plate, a Faraday rotator, and a polarizer. An additional phase delay is introduced by application of an electrical current to the Faraday rotator or by rotation of the polarizer (the latter is of topological origin), which permits the use of techniques of phase-stepping interferometry.     

A displacement measurement system, utilizing a Wollaston interferometer

A dual interferometric displacement measurement system is presented where a Wollaston prism interferometer is employed in conjunction with a normal Michelson interferometer. The system operates without the use of external polarizers, apart from those associated with the Wollaston prism interferometer itself. It is shown that an optical path difference induced in the Michelson interferometer can be detected using the Wollaston prism in a normal interferometer arrangement. Further, the interference pattern produced by the Wollaston prism interferometer changes in a measurable, linear fashion as the optical path difference from the Michelson interferometer alters. A simple theoretical analysis of the system is presented and used to derive a computer model of the optical arrangement. Results from an experimental implementation of the system, using a Wollaston prism with a beam separation of 0.5 degrees and a superluminescent diode, of wavelength 825 nm, as a light source, are included and compared to the results from the computer model.     

光纤连接器端面几何参量自动测量仪

报道了一种高精度测量光纤连接器端面几何参量的自动测量仪。叙述了光纤连接器的端面几何参量的测量原理。由光纤连接器端面形貌和纤芯中心坐标,可以高精度得到曲率半径、顶点偏移量、端面倾斜角和光纤高度等影响连接器性能的关键端面几何参量。该仪器体积小,自动化程度高,用户界面友好,使用方便,可测量物理接触、角度式物理接触等类型的光纤连接器端面几何参量。实际测量证明,该测量仪有很好的重复测量精度。该测量仪与美国Dorc公司ZX-1 mini PMS测量仪和Norland公司NC3000测量仪相比,测量精度水平相当。该仪器样机已通过华东国家计量测试中心的测试。     

All-guided stellar interferometer with an integrated optics recombiner

We report laboratory tests of an all-guided stellar interferometer used for optical aperture synthesis. In anticipation of use of the interferometer in space missions, this research is focused especially on compactness of the recombining device. The coherent transport and delay lines are implemented with polarization-maintaining fiber. Beam recombination is achieved by means of an integrated optics component. This two-arm interferometer operates at 670-nm mean wavelength and allows for a 24-cm correction for the differential air path.     

X-ray phase contrast imaging with optical magnification using three-block interferometer with bi-level Fresnel zone plates

The possibility of X-ray phase contrast imaging using already suggested three-block interferometer consisting of bi-level Fresnel zone plates is considered. The interferometer operates in the amplitude-division mode and does not impose strong requirements to spatial and temporal coherences of an initial radiation. The use of the Fresnel zone plates as the interferometer blocks allows one to obtain an optically magnified image of an object and to condense the radiation incident on the tested object.     

Adaptive gain interferometry: a new mechanism for optical metrology with speckle beams

We describe, for the first time to our knowledge, the use of a saturable laser gain medium to implement an adaptive gain interferometer for performing optical metrology with speckle-distorted beams. We show that interferometric formation and replay of a saturable gain hologram permit coherent extraction of fast vibrational information about an object in real time and removal of slowly varying spatial distortion. An experimental characterization of the frequency response of the adaptive gain interferometer is made by use of a diode-pumped solid-state laser amplifier, and a new theoretical formulation of the gain interferometer is also developed for the first reported time.     

An X-ray interferometer with Bragg case beam splitting and beam recombination

A new type of X-ray interferometer which uses Bragg case transmission for beam splitting and for beam recombination is described. The principles and special problems of this interferometer are discussed and a strict plane-wave treatment of the interference phenomena is presented. The feasibility of such a device is demonstrated by some interference patterns, obtained with an instrument made from a silicon crystal for use with copperKα radiation and the 220 Bragg reflection. Since, for the operation of the Bragg case interferometer, strong absorption is not essential, such devices may also be more suitable than the previously reported Laue case interferometer^1,2 for use with neutrons.     

The Use of Carousel Interferometer in Fourier-Transform Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

The carousel interferometer is a new type of an interferometer, which has been invented at the University of Turku. It consists of a beamsplitter and five plane mirrors. Four of the mirrors are mounted on a carousel, which rotates back and forth. We have modified the interferometer for use in the Fourier-transform ultraviolet (FT-UV) spectroscopy. Test measurement with plasma radiation gives favourable results. The most important property, which makes the carousel interferometer suitable for UV measurements, is its good stability in modulation.Presented at 1996 International Workshop on Interferometry (IWI ‘96), August 27–29, Saitama, Japan.     

Heterodyne angular interferometer using a square prism

An interferometer composed of a dual-frequency laser, sensing assembly, and decoding system is proposed for angular displacement determinations. The laser is a heterodyne light source. The sensing assembly generates an interference signal by the use of a square prism, and the decoding system extracts the phase difference of the interference signal. The theory, which reveals that the phase difference has a relation with the angular displacement of the square prism, of the interferometer is described. A setup constructed to realize the interferometer and the results of using this setup are then demonstrated and presented.     

Absolute metrology by phase and frequency modulation for multiwavelength interferometry

A fiber interferometer for absolute distance measurements is presented whereby wavelength variation is achieved via a sinusoidal strain modulation of a fiber Bragg grating to generate a series of beat wavelengths. The interferometer employs fiber laser sources where the design is based on the use of narrow-bandwidth fiber Bragg gratings. The accuracy of the beat wavelengths is improved compared to the use of multiple wavelengths measured with conventional optical spectrum analyzers or available wavemeters. Initial measurements are presented for beat wavelengths of 254.74 mm and 27.4 m over an optical path difference of 200 mm and 3.8 m, respectively. Combined with a two (or three) wavelength interferometer, this technique has the potential for ultrahigh dynamic range metrology ranging over several meters while preserving subfringe resolution and a low system complexity.     

Realization of an optical interferometer based on holographic optics for real-time testing of phase objects

The paper describes a simple and cost effective method for the realization of an optical interferometer based on holographic optics, which use minimal bulk optical components. The optical arrangement in the proposed method involves a very simple alignment procedure and inexpensive holographic recording material is used in the formation of holographic optical elements. The proposed interferometer set-up is quite suitable for performing optical test studies on phase (transparent) objects in real-time. Recording schemes for the formation of holographic optical elements and the related technique for the realization of the interferometer set-up along with the experimental results have been presented.     

A holographic interferometer and fringe analyzer, and their use for the study of supersonic flow

In previous papers the author has discussed the uses of interterometry and holography in aerodynamics, and the design of interferometers using laser sources. The present paper gives a practical example of an application of these techniques to a particular wind tunnel and a particular aerodynamic project.

The nature of the wind tunnel and the type of flow leads naturally to the use of holography with non-diffuse light, and to a particular interferometer design, an aperture-expanding interferometer in which the light is reflected back through the tunnel. It leads also to the use of a sensitivity doubling technique in the analyzer.

The optical and engineering design of the interferometer, analyzer, and of automatic systems for model rotation and camera operation are described. Some results are presented which show that the practical problems have been overcome and that good accuracy is attainable.     

Analysis of fringe locking in a laser diode interferometer under injection-current modulation

A theoretical analysis has been performed that explains a fringe-locking phenomenon observed in a two-beam interferometer in which a laser diode was subjected to optical feedback and modulation of its injection current. The dependence of wavelength change on the injection-current variation is calculated by use of a model of coupled resonators consisting of the laser cavity and the interferometer. The fringe phase change caused by modulation of the injection current is derived from this model and has proved to be suppressed within much less than 2pi in excess of an integer multiple of 2pi if the path difference of the interferometer is longer than 10 mm. The calculated phase fluctuation agrees well with those observed in experiments.     

First step toward a benchtop model of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

A technique for simulating large optical path lengths by use of digital delay buffers is presented. This technique is used to generate a synthetic interferometer with one arm having an arbitrary length. The response of the interferometer to phase and frequency modulation is measured and found to be in agreement with predictions. This technique could be used to simulate long-baseline interferometric space missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.     

基于人工神经网络的大量程光纤实时距离干涉测量仪

提出了一种基于人工神经网络的全光纤化大量程实时距离干涉测量仪.采用双正弦相位调制方法,即通过同时调制半导体激光器的波长和干涉仪的光程差实现外差测量.为了扩大干涉仪的测量范围和消除输出信号中的交叉敏感,采用人工神经网络进行信号处理,把两路经过初步解调的干涉信号作为输入样本,物体距离的实际值作为输出样本,对神经网络进行训练,以使其具有良好的推广能力.实验结果表明神经网络的使用不仅扩大了距离的测量范围而且提高了测量精度.     

Measurement of Shear in a Lateral Shearing Interferometer

We analyze the influence of error in the measurement of shear value, which is a major source of error in tested results by the lateral shearing interferometer. A novel method is proposed for accurately measuring the shear of this interferometer. By introducing a defocused wavefront and making use of the wavefront slope data of the defocus and the parameters of the interferometer, we can calculate the shear value precisely, with an error less than the sampling interval of the detector. An experiment was conducted to show the effectiveness of the method.     

Temporal characterization of short-pulse third-harmonic generation in an atomic gas by a transmission-grating Michelson interferometer

By use of a transmission-grating-based Michelson interferometer, second-order interferometric as well as intensity autocorrelation traces of the third harmonic of a Ti:sapphire 50-fs laser beam produced in Ar have been measured. The duration of the harmonic is found to be that expected from lowest-order perturbation theory. At this wavelength, the performance of the interferometer with respect to pulse-front distortion and dispersion is found to be satisfactory. This result is a first step toward the use of the interferometer for the temporal characterization of higher harmonics or harmonic superposition forming attosecond pulse trains.     

Optimal interferometer designs for optical coherence tomography

We introduce a family of power-conserving fiber-optic interferometer designs for low-coherence reflectometry that use optical circulators, unbalanced couplers, and (or) balanced heterodyne detection. Simple design equations for optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio of the interferometers are expressed in terms of relevant signal and noise sources and measurable system parameters. We use the equations to evaluate the expected performance of the new configurations compared with that of the standard Michelson interferometer that is commonly used in optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. The analysis indicates that improved sensitivity is expected for all the new interferometer designs, compared with the sensitivity of the standard OCT interferometer, under high-speed imaging conditions.