Three-color differential interferometry

It is shown that differential interferometry using a Wollaston prism and a three-color laser source is an optical technique that has all the advantages of differential interferometry in polarized white light and of classical monochromatic interferometry. The interference fringe pattern obtained is very large and colored and presents a central white fringe that enables easy identification of the zero order of the interferogram. The three-color source is obtained by filtering the unwanted lines of the ionized laser (mixed argon and krypton) and balancing the three red, green, and blue lines by a technique that involves placing birefringent plates between the polarizer and the analyzer, the thickness of which has been calculated to create a natural filter. The unsteady aerodynamic flow downstream of a diamond shape airfoil has been visualized with this technique, which shows that the power of the light source is sufficient to record the interferograms at a high rate.     

Cassegrainian/Gregorian-type null correctors for surface measurements of radio telescope reflectors

The (sub)millimeter wavelength radio observatory of the next generation will probably be an interferometer array of some 50 telescopes with parabolic reflectors 10-15 m in diameter. At this scale of mass production it is convenient to have at hand for workshop assembly a reflector surface measurement technique that is precise and easy to operate. We discuss the possibility of reflector measurements based on 10.6-mum CO(2) laser interferometry using Cassegrainian/Gregorian-type null correctors.     

Depth-resolved whole-field displacement measurement by wavelength-scanning electronic speckle pattern interferometry

We show, for the first time to our knowledge, how wavelength-scanning interferometry can be used to measure depth-resolved displacement fields through semitransparent scattering surfaces. Temporal sequences of speckle interferograms are recorded while the wavelength of the laser is tuned at a constant rate. Fourier transformation of the resultant three-dimensional (3-D) intensity distribution along the time axis reconstructs the scattering potential within the medium, and changes in the 3-D phase distribution measured between two separate scans provide the out-of-plane component of the 3-D displacement field. The principle of the technique is explained in detail and illustrated with a proof-of-principle experiment involving two independently tilted semitransparent scattering surfaces. Results are validated by standard two-beam electronic speckle pattern interferometry.     

Enhanced flow visualization with near-resonant holographic interferometry

Holographic interferometry measurements have been performed on high-speed, high-temperature gas flows with a laser output tuned near a resonant sodium transition. The technique allows the detection and quantification of the sodium concentration in the flow. By controlling the laser detuning and seeded sodium concentration, we performed flow visualization in low-density flows that are not normally detectable with standard interferometry. The technique was also successfully used to estimate the temperature in the boundary layer of the flow over a flat plate.     

Picosecond-resolution soft-x-ray laser plasma interferometry

We describe a soft-x-ray laser interferometry technique that allows two-dimensional diagnosis of plasma electron density with picosecond time resolution. It consists of the combination of a robust high-throughput amplitude-division interferometer and a 14.7-nm transient-inversion soft-x-ray laser that produces approximately 5-ps pulses. Because of its picosecond resolution and short-wavelength scalability, this technique has the potential for extending the high inherent precision of soft-x-ray laser interferometry to the study of very dense plasmas of significant fundamental and practical interest, such as those investigated for inertial confinement fusion. Results of its use in the diagnostics of dense large-scale laser-created plasmas are presented.     

Measurement of temperature using speckle shearing interferometry

A laser speckle shearing interferometric technique is used for measuring the temperature profile inside a gaseous flame. The experimental results are compared with the values obtained by a thermocouple and also by speckle photography. Good agreement is seen among the temperatures measured by speckle shearing interferometry, speckle photography, and the thermocouple. Speckle shearing interferometry is easier to implement than speckle photography. This is because in speckle shearing interferometry the accurate positions of the fringes can be known without point-by-point analysis and correction for the halo effect.     

Laser phase noise reduction for industrial interferometric applications

Laser ultrasound is a technique used for the ultrasonic inspection of composites during manufacturing of advanced jet fighters. With this technique laser interferometry is used to detect ultrasonic displacements generated by a laser. In theory, the signal-to-noise ratio is proportional to the square root of the collected detection light. In practice, laser phase noise limits the signal-to-noise ratio above a certain collected light level. Two techniques are presented to decrease effects due to laser noise. In one technique the dual-cavity Fabry-Perot currently used is replaced by an interferometer based on a photorefractive crystal. The other technique has a high-finesse Sagnac cavity that filters the phase noise from the detection laser. Experimental results demonstrate that these two techniques significantly reduce limitations due to laser noise.     

Non-destructive examination of paint coatings using the thermal wave interferometry technique

Thermal wave interferometry technique is used as a means of assessing paint coatings on metal and non-metal substrates. The non-contact technique employs a modulated laser and infrared detection of thermal waves. The experimental results presented include measurements showing the suitability of the technique for non-destructive examination of paint coatings on mild steel and fibre-reinforced composite substrates.     

Measuring temperature profiles in high-power optical fiber components

We demonstrate a new method for measuring changes in temperature distribution caused by coupling a high-power laser beam into an optical fiber and by splicing two fibers. The measurement technique is based on interrogating a fiber Bragg grating by using low-coherence spectral interferometry. A large temperature change is found owing to coupling of a high-power laser into a multimode fiber and to splicing of two multimode fibers. Measurement of the temperature profile rather than the average temperature along the grating allows study of the cause of fiber heating. The new measurement technique enables us to monitor in real time the temperature profile in a fiber without the affecting system operation, and it might be important for developing and improving the reliability of high-power fiber components.     

Absolute interferometry with a 670-nm external cavity diode laser

In the past few years there has been much interest in use of tunable diode lasers for absolute interferometry. Here we report on use of an external cavity diode laser operating in the visible (lambda ~ 670 nm) for absolute distance measurements. Under laboratory conditions we achieve better than 1-mum standard uncertainty in distance measurements over a range of 5 m, but significantly larger uncertainties will probably be more typical of shop-floor measurements where conditions are far from ideal. We analyze the primary sources of uncertainty limiting the performance of wavelength-sweeping methods for absolute interferometry, and we discuss how errors can be minimized. Many errors are greatly magnified when the wavelength sweeping technique is used; sources of error that are normally relevant only at the nanometer level when standard interferometric techniques are used may be significant here for measurements at the micrometer level.     

Wavelength-tuning interferometry of intraocular distances

We describe basic principles of wavelength-tuning interferometry and demonstrate its application in ophthalmology. The advantage of this technique compared with conventional low-coherence interferometry ranging is the simultaneous measurement of the object structure without the need for a moving reference mirror. Shifting the wavelength of an external-cavity tunable laser diode causes intensity oscillations in the interference pattern of light beams remitted from the intraocular structure. A Fourier transform of the corresponding wave-number-dependent photodetector signal yields the distribution of the scattering potential along the light beam illuminating the eye. We use an external interferometer to linearize the wave-number axis. We obtain high resolution in a model eye by slow tuning over a wide wavelength range. With lower resolution we demonstrate the simultaneous measurement of anterior segment length, vitreous chamber depth, and axial eye length in human eyes in vivo with data-acquisition times in the millisecond range.     

Complete characterization of optical pulses by real-time spectral interferometry

We demonstrate a simple method for complete characterization (of amplitudes and phases) of short optical pulses, using only a dispersive delay line and an oscilloscope. The technique is based on using a dispersive delay line to stretch the pulses and recording the temporal interference of two delayed replicas of the pulse train. Then, by transforming the time domain interference measurements to spectral interferometry, the spectral intensity and phase of the input pulses are reconstructed, using a Fourier-transform algorithm. In the experimental demonstration, mode-locked fiber laser pulses with durations of approximately 1 ps were characterized with a conventional fast photodetector and an oscilloscope.     

Determination of Residual Stresses by Thermal Relaxation and Speckle Correlation Interferometry

ABSTRACT:  A new technique for the measurement of residual stresses is presented. The technique is based on strain measurements following thermal stress relaxation. The heat input is supplied by a low power infrared laser and the strain is measured with speckle pattern correlation interferometry. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the technique and an example of how it has been applied in a practical situation.     

Absolute interferometric distance measurement using a FM-demodulation technique

We propose an interferometric method for measuring absolute distances larger than the wavelength. A laser diode is used as a light source. The principle of operation is based on multiple-wavelength interferometry that uses a modulated light source. This method uses the fact that the wavelength of light emitted by the laser diode can be varied by means of the injection current. The modulation of the injection current in combination with the optical heterodyne technique causes a high-frequency phase-modulated detector signal. The phase deviation of the signal is a measure of the optical path difference in the interferometer. By FM demodulation of the detector output with a phase-locked loop demodulator, the optical path difference can be determined directly without the classical ambiguity problem of interferometry. The measuring range in the experiments was limited to 50 mm by the maximum travel range of the used specimen translation stage. Because of the inherent light sensitivity of the method described, the rangefinder can be used for three-dimensional profile measurements on a wide variety of objects, even on diffuse scattering surfaces.     

Polarization-mode dispersion measurements in high-birefringence fibers by means of stimulated Raman scattering

A convenient technique for polarization-mode dispersion measurements in short lengths of high-birefringence fibers is reported. The technique is based on spectral interferometry with a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser, which is frequency shifted and broadened by self-stimulated Raman scattering in an optical fiber. The different Raman Stokes beams permit accurate measurements over a 40-nm wavelength range in the visible spectrum.     

In-plane rotation analysis by two-wavelength electronic speckle interferometry

A simple method is presented for the measurement of in-plane rotation (angle and sign) of an object by use of the conventional in-plane sensitive electronic speckle pattern interferometry technique combined with the two-wavelength laser diode method. The advantage of this method is that it can be used to measure the angle of rotation in a simple way by determination of fringe tilt. The experimental setup is described, and results are presented.     

Noninvasive field measurement of low-frequency ultrasonic transducers operating in sealed vessels

This paper describes a noninvasive technique utilizing the acousto-optic effect, laser interferometry, and tomographic principles that have been implemented to measure the acoustic fields generated by low-frequency ultrasonic transducers operating into sealed, water-loaded vessels commonly used in industrial processing applications. A customized scanning frame, incorporating both linear and rotational stages, has been developed to facilitate manipulation of the laser head and vessel under evaluation. First, transmitted pressure profiles in air are predicted from surface displacement data acquired directly by laser measurement of the vibrating aperture. These profiles were then used to verify the measured fields obtained via conventional tomographic scanning procedures, coupled with laser interferometry, applied within a draft-proof scanning facility under free-field conditions. Next, the finite element code PZF(lex) was employed for the prediction of pressure fields within cylindrical cell configurations. Finally, precise manipulation of the laser firing angle and position was implemented in order to compensate for the effects of refraction at the cell wall boundaries, and to re-establish the projections required for the reconstruction algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate good corroboration with the PZF(lex) predictions, validating its application of ultrasound as a virtual prototyping tool for the design of high power ultrasonic test vessels.     

Probe transit effect in interferometry of fast moving samples

When a fast moving transparent sample (with a speed close to c) is probed with a laser pulse, some artifacts can occur from data analysis. These artifacts are connected to the transit time of the probe through the sample and can mask the presence of a steep gradient of refractive index in the sample. We study this problem in the case of interferometry. In fact, the problem can affect the femtosecond interferometry of the media under ultrafast ionization by a propagating laser pulse. Two algorithms are introduced: the first based on the phase difference and the second based on visibility. Both algorithms allow for the reconstruction, under suitable assumptions, of an approximated refractive index profile from the distorted fringes.     

Transient deformation measurement with electronic speckle pattern interferometry and a high-speed camera

To the best of our knowledge, transient deformations have been measured in real time with microsecond temporal resolution for the first time with speckle pattern interferometry. The short exposure period and high framing rate of a high-speed camera at as many as 40, 500 frames per second allow low-power continuous-wave laser illumination and fiber-optic beam delivery to be used. We have applied the technique to measure both harmonic vibration and transient deformation.