Method for producing time marks at any points on moving components

An optical trigger device for generating time markers of arbitrary points on moving components, comprising:

• a broadband light source having a correspondingly short coherence length;
• an arrangement configured to split the light from the light source into two paths, the two paths including a measurement light path and a reference light path, each path including an optical waveguide and an arrangement configured to feed the light into the respective optical waveguide;
• an arrangement configured to focus the light emerging from the measurement optical waveguide at a measurement point;
• an arrangement configured to couple back the light of the reference light path, a light distance in the measurement light path up to the measurement point and in the reference light path up to a coupling-back plane being of a same length within a coherence length of the light;
• an arrangement configured for interference of the coupled-back light of the measurement light path and the reference light path;
• and
• a detector configured to detect the interfering coupled-back light at which a short modulation event occurs when the component passes through the measurement point.