公开(公告)号：EP1172643A4

公开(公告)日：2008-04-09

申请号：EP00940767

申请日：2000-06-21

Applicant: JAPAN SCIENCE & TECH AGENCY

Inventor： WRIGHT OLIVER ,  HURLEY DAVID ,  MATSUDA OSAMU

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G01B11/02 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01D5/26 ,  G01J9/02 ,  G01J11/00 ,  G01N21/45 ,  G01N25/16 ,  G01N29/00

CPC classification number: G01N21/45 ,  G01B11/0675 ,  G01D5/266 ,  G01J11/00 ,  G01J2009/0276

Abstract: An instrument for measuring a physical property of a sample by optically detecting the response of the sample to projection of an ultra-short optical pulse. A Sagnac common-path optical interferometer for measuring a physical property at a vertical input angle is provided. The interferometer is a one-arm Sagnac type and has two beam splitters. A sample (14) is excited by an ultra-short optical pulse, and changes of the strength and phase of the optical beam caused by the excitation are measured. Therefore it is possible to measure a physical property in a wide range such as the thickness of an object, a sound speed, or a thermal property.