An optical unit includes: a first diffraction grating where light from a light source enters; a second diffraction grating that generates interference light as a result of diffracted light rays emitted from the first diffraction grating entering the second diffraction grating; and an optical member including a pair of reflective surfaces that are parallel and opposite to each other, the optical member being configured such that the pair of reflective surfaces respectively reflect ±mth-order diffracted light rays that are diffracted light rays of a specific order among a plurality of orders of the diffracted light rays emitted from the first diffraction grating so as to guide the ±mth-order diffracted light rays to the second diffraction grating, where m is a natural number.