Spatially modulated interferometer and beam shearing device therefor

A static interferometer comprising:

• fore-optics having a chief ray and a pupil that is asymmetric relative to the chief ray and configured to collect light and focus it into a beam;
• a spectral resolving system comprising:
• an entrance slit structure having an entrance slit extending in a first direction for receiving a beam of light;
• a beam shearing system including:
• a beam splitter aligned at an angle to the first direction configured to split the received beam of light into two separate beams;
• a reflective subsystem having a plurality of reflective surfaces defining separate light paths of equal optical path length for the two separate beams, the reflective surfaces arranged such that when the two beams emerge the chiefrays of the two separate beams are substantially parallel to each other;
• and
• an optical system configured to recombine the two separate beams of light emerging from the beam shearing system onto an exit pupil.

A static interferometer comprising:

• fore-optics having a chief ray and a pupil that is asymmetric relative to the chief ray and configured to collect light and focus it into a beam;
• a spectral resolving system comprising:
• an entrance slit structure having an entrance slit extending in a first direction for receiving a beam of light;
• a beam shearing system including:
• a beam splitter aligned at an angle to the first direction configured to split the received beam of light into two separate beams;
• a reflective subsystem having a plurality of reflective surfaces defining separate light paths of equal optical path length for the two separate beams, the reflective surfaces arranged such that when the two beams emerge the chief rays of the two separate beams are substantially parallel to each other;
• and
• an optical system configured to recombine the two separate beams of light emerging from the beam shearing system onto an exit pupil;
• and
• a detector located at the exit pupil.

A static interferometer comprising:

• fore-optics for collecting light and collimating into a beam, the fore-optics possessing an exit pupil;
• a beam shearing system comprising:
• an entrance slit structure having an entrance slit extending in a first direction for receiving a beam of light having a photon flux within a predetermined spectral pass band;
• a beam shearing system comprising:
• a beam splitter aligned at an angle to the first direction so that the received beam of light is split into two separate beams;
• a reflective subsystem having a plurality of reflective surfaces defining separate light paths of equal optical path length for the two separate beams, the reflective surfaces arranged such that one of the separate beams undergoes one reflection and the other of the separate beams undergoes three reflections and that when the two beams emerge from the beam shearing system they contain more than 50 percent of the said photon flux;
• and
• a detector located at said exit pupil where the two beams emerging from the beam shearing system converge.

A beam shearing system for shearing an incident beam of light having a chief ray, comprising:

• a first prism possessing a surface acting as a beam splitter;
• a second prism positioned to create an air gap between the second prism and the surface;
• wherein the first and second prisms are positioned such that the incident beam of light is incident on the surface at an angle that substantially prevents total internal reflection;
• wherein the incident beam of light is split by the beam splitter into two separate beams of light that emerge from the beam shearing system;
• and
• wherein the two beams of light are substantially parallel when they emerge from the beam shearing system and contain more than 50% of the incident light.

A beam shearing system for shearing an incident beam of light having a chief ray, comprising:

• a first prism possessing a surface acting as a beam splitter;
• a second Prism positioned to create an air gap between the second prism and the surface;
• wherein the first and second prisms are positioned such that the incident beam of light is incident on the surface at an angle that substantially prevents total internal reflection;
• wherein the incident beam of light is split by the beam splitter into two separate beams of light that emerge from the beam shearing system;
• and
• wherein the two beams of light are substantially parallel when they emerge from the beam shearing system and contain more than 50% of the incident light;
• and
• wherein both the beams of light emerging from the beam shearing system include infrared radiation.

A beam shearing system for shearing an incident beam of light having a chief ray, comprising:

• a first prism possessing a surface acting as a beam splitter;
• a second prism positioned to create an air Rap between the second prism and the surface;
• wherein the first and second prisms are positioned such that the incident beam of light is incident on the surface at an angle that substantially prevents total internal reflection;
• wherein the incident beam of light is split by the beam splitter into two separate beams of light that emerge from the beam shearing system;
• and
• wherein the two beams of light are substantially parallel when they emerge from the beam shearing system and contain more than 50% of the incident light;
• and
• wherein both the beams of light emerging from the beam shearing system include ultraviolet radiation.