Polarization-sensitive optical measurement instrument

An optical measurement instrument comprising:

• a light source, an optical observation unit and an optical detection unit,
• wherein the optical observation unit includes:
• an optical splitting device that splits a beam emitted from the light source into a probe beam that irradiates a measurement object and a reference beam that does not irradiate the measurement object;
• a polarization adjusting device that can adjust the polarized state of the probe beam;
• a probe beam scanning device that scans the position of irradiation of the measurement object with the probe beam;
• and
• a polarized beam separating device that separates a signal beam obtained by the reflection or scattering of the probe beam by the measurement object into a first split signal beam and a second split signal beam, which are mutually orthogonal two polarized components,
• wherein the optical detection unit includes:
• a first coherence optical system that causes the first split signal beam and the reference beam to interfere with each other to generate three or more coherence beams differing in plastic relationship from one another;
• a second coherence optical system that causes the first split signal beam and the reference beam to interfere with each other to generate three or more coherence beams differing in phasic relationship from one another;
• a first detecting device that detects the coherence beams generated by the first coherence optical system;
• a second detecting device that detects the coherence beams generated by the second coherence optical system;
• and
• a signal processing device that subjects signals outputted from the first detecting device and the second detecting device to arithmetic operation,
• wherein the optical observation unit and the optical detection unit being connected to each other by two or more polarization maintaining optical fibers.

An optical detection unit comprising:

• a light source and an optical output device that outputs outside a beam from the light source over a polarization maintaining optical fiber;
• an optical input device to which a first input beam and a second beam are inputted from outside over a polarization maintaining optical fiber;
• a first coherence optical system that causes the p-polarized beam component and the s-polarized beam component of the first input beam to interfere with each other to generate three or more coherence beams differing in phasic relationship from one another;
• a second coherence optical system that causes the p-polarized beam component and the s-polarized beam component of the second input beam to interfere with each other to generate three or more coherence beams differing in phasic relationship from one another;
• a first detecting device that detects the three or more coherence beams generated by the first coherence optical system;
• a second detecting device that detects the three or more coherence beams generated by the second coherence optical system;
• and
• a signal processing device that subjects signals outputted from the first detecting device and the second detecting device to arithmetic operation