公开(公告)号：US3700334A

公开(公告)日：1972-10-24

申请号：US3700334D

申请日：1970-11-13

Applicant: NASA

Inventor： FYMAT ALAIN L ,  ABHYANKAR KRISHNA D

IPC: G01J3/453 ,  G01N21/21 ,  G01B9/02 ,  G01N21/40

CPC classification number: G01J3/4537 ,  G01N21/21

Abstract: A system for measuring the intensity and state of polarization of a radiation field as well as obtaining the spectral variations of these quantities with a wide range of spectral resolution, i.e., from low to extremely high resolution values, is disclosed. The system generally includes any standard or conventional twobeam interferometer which is modified by the inclusion of a polarizer in each of the beams and an analyzer positioned in front of a sensor or recording device. More specifically, the system employs a beam splitter which serves to divide light from a selected light source into a pair of individual light beams. Each of the light beams is directed through a polarizer. The polarizers are positioned to have preselected planes of polarization with respect to each other and with respect to the plane of polarization of the analyzer. The polarized light beams are applied to a variable optical retarder which serves to selectively modify the relative optical path lengths of the light beams. An optical mixer may be employed to recombine the two light beams. The recombined light beams are projected through an analyzer, such as a linear polarizer, to a sensor or recording device.