Abstract:
The interferometer makes use of an acousto-optic device (11, 21) to perform a frequency shift of the beam sent along one of the interferometer branches, so as to allow the determination of the state of polarization by heterodyne radiofrequency detection. The acousto-optic device can be inserted downstream the means (8) splitting the beam emitted by the source (1) into the two beams sent along the two interferometer branches, or it can also act as the beam splitter.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns an unique laser radiometer capable of accurately measuring the radiation temperature of a radiant surface and independently measuring the surface's emissivity. A narrow-band radiometer is combined with a laser reflectometer to measure concurrently radiance and emissivity of a remote, hot surface. Together, radiance and emissivity yield the true surface temperature of the remote target. A narrow receiver bandwidth is attained by one of two methods; (a) heterodyne detection or (b) optical filtering. A direct measurement of emissivity is used to adjust the value obtained for the thermal radiation signal to substantially enhance the accuracy of the temperature measurement for a given subject surface. The technique provides substantially high detection sensitivity over a very narrow spectral bandwidth.
Abstract:
The device comprises : a laser device (10, 20) for the frequency n1 (11) and the frequency n2 (21), each provided with a polarizing beam splitter (12, 22) for producing crossed polarized partial beams of frequency n1 (13, 14) and n2 (23, 24), respectively, with a modulator (18, 28) for shifting the frequency of each of the partial beams to the frequency f1 or f2, respectively, with a pair of deflecting mirrors (15, 17, 25, 27) and with a polarizing beam splitter (16, 26) for uniting (19, 29) the partial beams n1, n1+f1, n2, n2+f2; two photodetectors (35, 45) before each of which a polarizer (34, 44) is arranged; a Michelson interferometer; a non-polarizing beam splitter (30) for distributing each of the partial beams (19, 29) into a measurement light beam (32) or a reference light beam (33). The reference light beam is transmitted to the corresponding photodetector (35). The measurement light beam (32) is transmitted to the Michelson interferometer and then to the corresponding photodetector (45).The photodetector signals are modulated in function of the amplitude, and the phase difference between the two modulated signals is determined. This phase difference depends only on the position of the test object and the equivalent wavelenght of the difference, n1-n2. For stabilization or correction, the device can be executed in duplicate and one of the executions used as a reference. The corresponding process can be applied to determine positions or distances as the interval between two positions. Uncertainties can be eliminated by shifting the distance or changing the frequency with simultaneous integration of the phase difference over time.
Abstract:
In a transillumination imaging system in which a body (H) is illuminated by transparency by a beam of light (FS, F1), a beam splitter (S1) derives from this beam (FS) a beam fraction (F'1) whose frequency is shifted by a frequency changer (CF). The beam (F3) obtained is combined with the signal beam (F2) produced by illumination of the medium (H). A detector (D) receives these beams and supplies a photocurrent having a frequency intermediate between the frequency of the signal beam (F2) and that of the frequency-shifted beam (F3). A privileged direction of the diffused light is thus isolated in the signal beam. Application: medical imaging.
Abstract:
A heterodyne interferometer system utilizes a single stabilized frequency linearly polarized laser input beam (18) from a light source (10) which is provided to an acousto-optic device (20) along with a frequency stabilized electrical reference signal (32) from an oscillator (30) for transforming the input beam (18) into a pair of orthogonally polarized beams (40,50) differing in frequency by the reference signal frequency prior to providing these beams (40,50) to a polarization type interferometer (70). A mixing polarizer (60) mixes the beams (46,56) after they traverse the interferometer (70) and provides the mixed beams (62,64) to a photoelectric detector (65) where they are utilized to produce an electrical measurement signal (66). This electrical measurement signal (66) is processed in a phase meter/accumulator (68) along with the reference signal (32) to produce an output signal (80) which is the sum of phase difference on a cycle-by-cycle basis between the measurement signal (66) and the reference signal (32). The phase meter/accumulator (68) includes an analog-to-digital converter and a memory register for the previous cycle, with the measurement resolution being determined by the number of bits of the analog-to-digital converter.
Abstract:
The method and the device are based on interference techniques. Two quasi-monochromatic radiations (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b; 202a, 202b) with slightly different optical frequencies are generated. A radiation is converted into a 45° linearly-polarized radiation, while the other presents the polarization state imposed by a body under test (4, 204). In each radiation, horizontal and vertical polarization components are separated, and then recombined into two different beams (20a, 21a; 34, 35) comprising radiations at both frequencies, respectively polarized in the same plane. Beatings between the two components of each beam are originated and from the two electrical signals in the radio frequency range thus obtained the information is extracted on the relative phase and the amplitude of the two components of the radiation with polarization imposed by the body under test (4, 204).
Abstract:
An interferometer, and corresponding method, for use in the measurement and correction of wavefront aberrations in a beam of radiation. The interferometer includes optical elements for generating a reference beam with a known wavefront phase characteristic. The reference beam is recombined with the sample beam, to produce an interference pattern indicative of the phase aberrations in the sample beam as compared with the reference beam. An array of detectors produces electrical signals corresponding to discrete elements of the detected pattern, and an electrical circuit for each elemental detector generates phase correction signals to be applied to a set of movable mirror elements arranged to effect phase changes in the sample beam path. The movable mirror elements adjust the elemental path lengths of the sample beam to yield zero detected phase differences. The mirror elements may be integrated into the interferometer, or may take the form of a deformable mirror used for phase compensation of a light beam. The reference beam in the preferred form of the invention is dithered at a high frequency to minimize the effect of noise, and each electrical circuit includes a synchronous detector to remove the dither-frequency component. In accordance with one disclosed form of the invention, the reference beam is not planar but is aberrated in a conjugate relationship with the radiation beam to be corrected, to provide improved control loop performance.