Method, interferometer and signal processing device, each for determining an input phase and/or an input amplitude of an input light field
OwnerMartin Berzinventor
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Abstract
A method, an interferometer, and a signal processing device, each for determining an input phase and/or an input amplitude of an input light field, are disclosed. Here, an input light field is divided into a first light field and a second light field by amplitude splitting. The first light field and the second light field are propagated such that the propagated second light field is defocused relative to the propagated first light field. The propagated first light field is superimposed on the propagated light field and caused to interfere.
Claims20
A method for determining an input phase and/or an input amplitude of an input light field emitted from an object, wherein the object comprises at least one object point, wherein an input spot of the input light field is emitted from the object point, the method comprising:
- a) amplitude splitting of the input light field into a first light field and a second light field, wherein the amplitude splitting comprises splitting the input spot of the input light field into a corresponding first spot of the first light field and a corresponding second spot of the second light field, such that the first light field comprises a first spot corresponding to the input spot and the second light field comprises a second spot corresponding to the input spot;
- b) propagating the first light field along a first interferometer arm having a first geometrical propagation distance and a first optical path length and propagating the second light field along a second interferometer arm having a second geometrical propagation distance and a second optical path length, wherein the first geometrical propagation distance is different from the second geometrical propagation distance and the first optical path length is identical to the second optical path length;
- c) after propagating the first light field and the second light field, amplitude superposition and imaging of the first light field and the second light field onto a detector,
- wherein the first spot of the first light field and the second spot of the second light field, which originate from the input spot, interfere on the detector to form a common output spot of an output light field, and
- wherein the output light field generates an interference pattern at the detector;
- d) measuring at least a portion of the interference pattern created by the output light field with the detector and determining a complex interference term from the measured interference pattern;
- and
- e) determining the input phase and/or the input amplitude from the complex interference term.
An interferometer for determining an input phase and/or an input amplitude of an input light field, comprising:
- a splitting device comprising:
- an amplitude splitter for amplitude splitting of an incident light field into two output light fields, comprising at least one input port, a first output port and a second output port, and
- an amplitude superimposer for amplitude superposition of two incident light fields into an output light field, comprising a first input port, a second input port and an output port;
- a first interferometer arm between the first output port of the amplitude splitter and the first input port of the amplitude superimposer and a second interferometer arm between the second output port of the amplitude splitter and the second input port of the amplitude superimposer, wherein the first interferometer arm has a first geometrical propagation distance and a first optical path length and the second interferometer arm has a second geometrical propagation distance and a second optical path length, wherein the first geometrical propagation distance is different from the second geometrical propagation distance and the first optical path length is identical to the second optical path length;
- a detector for measuring an interference pattern, wherein the detector is positioned after the output port of the amplitude superimposer;
- and
- an imaging device for imaging an output light field of the amplitude superimposer onto the detector, wherein the imaging device is positioned between the output port of the amplitude superimposer and the detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.