Distance Measuring Device and Distance Measuring Method

A distance measurement method using a distance measuring device including a distance measurement section and a measurement probe,

• wherein the measurement probe has
• a probe tip end section that is engaged with a tip end of the measurement probe,
• a rotating section that rotates the engaged probe tip end portion, and
• an optical element that emits measurement light to the probe tip end section,
• wherein at a tip end of the probe tip end section, the probe tip end section has
• an optical path switching element that switches an optical path of the measurement light which is incident from the optical element,
• wherein the optical path switching element has
• a first surface on which the measurement light incident from the optical element is incident,
• a second surface that reflects or transmits the measurement light in accordance with a polarization state of the measurement light which is incident from the first surface,
• a third surface from which the measurement light reflected by the second surface is emitted to a target object,
• a fourth surface from which the measurement light passing through the second surface is emitted to the target object, and
• a fifth surface that faces the third surface, and
• wherein a material of at least a part of the probe tip end section provided at a position opposite to the fifth surface absorbs the measurement light, and
• wherein the distance measurement method comprises:
• switching an optical path of the measurement light incident from the optical element toward the third surface, through the optical path switching element;
• scanning the measurement light emitted from the third surface to the target object while rotating the probe tip end section, through the rotating section;
• and
• calculating the distance to the target object on the basis of reflected light from the target object, through the distance measurement section.