Interferometer system and use thereof
AssigneeNederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
InventorsHuibert Visser, Hedser Van Brug
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Interferometer system, including optical means (2, 3, 4, 5) arranged for directing light along a first interferometer path and (separate) second interferometer path, and for combining the light for allowing interferometry, characterized in that the first interferometer path (PI) is provided with a first light transmitting structure (10) having a rotational position that is adjustable with respect to an optical axis of the first path.
Claims35
An interferometer system, including optical elements arranged for directing light along a first interferometer path and separate second interferometer path, and for combining the light for allowing interferometry,
- wherein the first interferometer path is provided with a first light transmitting structure having a rotational position that is adjustable with respect to an optical axis of the first interferometer path, said first light transmitting structure generating a single optical path difference for all light in the first interferometer path received by the first light transmitting structure, and
- wherein the system is configured for manual removal of the first light transmitting structure from, and/or manual replacement of the first light transmitting structure into, the first interferometer path, or
- wherein the system includes a removal or displacement element for automatic removal of the first light transmitting structure from, and/or automatic replacement of the first light transmitting structure into, the first interferometer path.
An interferometry method comprising:
- at least a first calibration step comprising obtaining calibration data from interferometry of a test signal,
- wherein the calibration data is obtained by directing first and second beams of the test signal along a first interferometer path and a separate second interferometer path, respectively, and combining the beams of the test interferometry,
- wherein a first light transmitting structure, having a rotational position that is adjustable with respect to an optical axis of the first interferometer path, is absent in the first calibration step but is present in the first interferometer path in a subsequent, interferometry measurement step,
- the interferometry measurement step comprising directing first and second light beams of a sample along the first interferometer path and the second interferometer path, respectively, and combining the light beams of the sample allowing interferometry,
- wherein, during the interferometry measurement step, the rotational position of the first light transmitting structure is set based on said calibration data obtained from said first calibration step, and
- wherein an interference pattern from combining the light beams of the sample is detected over a time period in which the rotational position of the first light transmitting structure is fixed.
An interferometry method comprising:
- a first calibration step comprising directing first and second beams of broadband light or white light along a first interferometer path and a separate second interferometer path, respectively;
- a second calibration step comprising directing first and second beams of light having a predetermined light spectrum or spectrum component along the first interferometer path and the second interferometer path, respectively;
- an interferometry measurement step, comprising directing first and second light beams of a sample along the first interferometer path and the second interferometer path, respectively, and combining the light beams of the sample allowing interferometry,
- wherein a first light transmitting structure, having a rotational position that is adjustable with respect to an optical axis of the first interferometer path, is absent in the first calibration step but is present in the first interferometer path in the second calibration step and in the interferometry measurement step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.