Problems regarding linearity of data of a laser interferometer with a single-frequency laser

In this paper, the main causes of scale nonlinearity of a laser interferometer with a single-frequency laser and a quadrature fringe detection system are described. The primary causes of scale nonlinearity are quadrature phase shift error and imperfect optical elements in the interferometer and detection unit. A method for measuring this nonlinearity with an optical compensator is described. Nonlinearities arising from quadrature phase shift error, unequal amplitudes, and electronic offsets in the detection unit can be compensated by means of a PC program as described herein. By using a differential interferometer with a resolution of 0.3 nm, the nonlinearity compensation was experimentally verified, and by averaging the measured values for 20 s, a linearity better than ±0.5 nm was achieved.     

Multi-chord fiber-coupled interferometer with a long coherence length laser

This paper describes a 561 nm laser heterodyne interferometer that provides time-resolved measurements of line-integrated plasma electron density within the range of 10(15)-10(18) cm(-2). Such plasmas are produced by railguns on the plasma liner experiment, which aims to produce μs-, cm-, and Mbar-scale plasmas through the merging of 30 plasma jets in a spherically convergent geometry. A long coherence length, 320 mW laser allows for a strong, sub-fringe phase-shift signal without the need for closely matched probe and reference path lengths. Thus, only one reference path is required for all eight probe paths, and an individual probe chord can be altered without altering the reference or other probe path lengths. Fiber-optic decoupling of the probe chord optics on the vacuum chamber from the rest of the system allows the probe paths to be easily altered to focus on different spatial regions of the plasma. We demonstrate that sub-fringe resolution capability allows the interferometer to operate down to line-integrated densities of the order of 5 × 10(15) cm(-2).     

Numerical simulation of a reflective diffraction fiber interferometer

Numerical simulation was used to demonstrate the possibility of designing a two-mirror multibeam reflective diffraction interferometer using a single-mode fiber with a cladding. The method is based on the calculation of the multimode and multibeam interference of the cladding modes in the fiber describing the diffraction on a diffuser made in the form of an insert of a different fiber as part of one of the interferometer mirrors. It is shown based on bulk optics that using certain optimization, one can obtain a reflection-response function profile of this interferometer similar to that of the transmission-response function of a Fabry-Perot interferometer.     

Validation of a single fibre-fed heterodyne laser interferometer with nanometre uncertainty

In this paper the validation of a fiber-fed heterodyne laser interferometer with nanometre uncertainty is presented. The achievable displacement measurement uncertainty is investigated for different polarisation maintaining fibres used in these interferometers. Measurement results are shown for both a range of m as well as a range of 300 mm. It is shown that a (selected) PM-fibre with an extinction ratio of 1:1650 and the use of an external reference allows realising a fibre-fed laser interferometer able to measure displacements with the same uncertainty as a laser interferometer system without fibre. Tests were performed with fibres ranging in length up to 50 m.     

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer dimensional stability investigations for use on the laser interferometer space antenna mission telescope

The laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) is a mission designed to detect low frequency gravitational waves. In order for LISA to succeed in its goal of direct measurement of gravitational waves, many subsystems must work together to measure the distance between proof masses on adjacent spacecraft. One such subsystem, the telescope, plays a critical role as it is the laser transmission and reception link between spacecraft. Not only must the material that makes up the telescope support structure be strong, stiff, and light, but it must have a dimensional stability of better than 1 pm Hz(-1/2) at 3 mHz and the distance between the primary and the secondary mirrors must change by less than 2.5 μm over the mission lifetime. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer is the current baseline material; however, it has not been tested to the pico meter level as required by the LISA mission. In this paper, we present dimensional stability results, outgassing effects occurring in the cavity and discuss its feasibility for use as the telescope spacer for the LISA spacecraft.     

快速调整激光干涉仪光线准直系统的设计

使用激光干涉仪能够很好地解决数控机床定位精度差的问题,然而调整激光器的方向,使激光束与所测机床轴的移动方向平行是一项很重要而且麻烦的工作。为快速准确调整激光器方向,在对激光干涉仪工作原理深入研究的基础上,分析了激光束偏心的原因,构建了以PLC为控制核心,驱动两台电机控制干涉仪平移与旋转运动,实现快速调整激光干涉仪激光束准直。实验结果表明,此设计节省了大量人力、时间的开支,能够控制干涉仪快速对准,具有工业应用推广价值。     

Development of CO2 laser dispersion interferometer with photoelastic modulator

A dispersion interferometer is one of the promising methods of the electron density measurement on large and high density fusion devices. This paper describes development of a CO(2) laser dispersion interferometer with a photoelastic modulator for phase modulation. In order to make the dispersion interferometer free from variations of the detected intensity, a new phase extraction method is introduced: The phase shift is evaluated from a ratio of amplitudes of the fundamental and the second harmonics of the phase modulation frequency in the detected interference signal. The proof-of-principle experiments demonstrate the feasibility of this method.     

Comparison and calibration of laser interferometer systems

The paper describes the reasons and practical needs for the calibration of laser interferometer systems. The conventional techniques for mechanical, frequency and wavelenght comparison, and the new co-axial displacement comparator for simultaneous concurrent comparison of up to 10 complete laser interferometer systems, are explained. Requirements of the set-up and experimental results are discussed. The new method gives the ordinary user a simple but efficacious measure to calibrate his own complete laser interferometer system and to estimate the effective precision under his own real laboratory or workshop conditions. Even the comparison of uncalibrated systems gives interesting results: eg, about zero drift, warming up, short- and long-term alterations and electrical noise interferences. For absolute calibration, a portable iodine-stabilised laser source and sophisticated methods for wavelenght compensation in ambient air are needed.     

激光球面干涉仪系统误差的测量

为了定标测量系统、提高测量精度,在简要论述了激光球面干涉仪的原理以后,采用移相技术,获得了四幅干涉图,并提取出范围在[-π,π)之间的相位。然后,利用相位消跳变算法,展开得到连续的相位。最后经过消倾斜和离焦等后继处理,得到了系统的波面误差。     

白光干涉仪中光源参数的优化选择

在白光干涉仪中,白光光源的参数决定了干涉条纹的分布,对中心条纹的识别精度产生直接影响.采用不同光谱形状的光源或改善光源的光谱形状可提高零级条纹的可见度,利用多个白光光源构成组合光源来改变光源的光谱形状是提高零级条纹可见度的有效方法.在提出组合光源参数优化设计方法的基础上,理论分析得出了双组合光源和三组合光源优化设计的简洁公式.计算机模拟及实验结果表明,经优化设计后组合光源产生的干涉图,其零级条纹可见度大大增加,更有利于提高系统的测量分辨率.     

Linewidth reduction of a distributed-feedback diode laser using an all-fiber interferometer with short path imbalance

The linewidth of a distributed-feedback (DFB) diode laser at 1156 nm, of which free-running linewidth was 3 MHz, was reduced to 15 kHz using an all-fiber interferometer with 5-m-long path imbalance. Optical power loss and bandwidth limitation were negligible with this short optical fiber patch cord. This result was achieved without acoustic and vibration isolations, and the frequency lock could be maintained over weeks. In addition to its simplicity, compactness, robustness, and cost-effectiveness, this technique can be applied at any wavelength owing to the availability of DFB diode lasers and fiber-optic components.     

A 10 mm measuring machine based on a compensated laser interferometer

A single-axis measuring microscope has been constructed for the calibration of stage micrometers, micrometer microscopes and similar devices which require uncertainties down to 0.1 μm. The instrument is built from modules so that the interferometer measuring unit can be used in a variety of calibration tasks. A single mode optical fibre can be used to couple the laser source to the interferometer     

Instantaneous laser Doppler velocimeter using a fast wavelength tracking Michelson interferometer

A new species of laser Doppler velocimeter is presented based on wavelength detection with a two-beam interferometer. A finite optical path difference, Deltaphi, of the interferometer creates a sensitivity of the interference to wavelength changes. By means of a fast feedback system, the phase, Deltaphi/lambda is kept constant. Wavelength changes are immediately answered by changes of Deltaphi generated with a Pockels cell. The Pockels cell voltage represents a continuous signal proportional to the instantaneous velocity component of the scattering object. A time resolution of 1 micros or lower can be obtained. The field of applications includes velocity recordings in gas flows containing tracer particles as well as velocity recordings of moving surfaces. A number of experiments are described demonstrating the performance of the system.     

基于长度可变真空腔的激光干涉空气折射率测量误差分析与补偿

为了解决基于长度可变真空腔的激光干涉空气折射率测量中透光窗片倾斜和真空腔内残余气压对测量精度的影响,本文分析了真空腔拉伸过程中透光窗片倾斜引入的误差,并提出了透光窗片倾斜误差检测和补偿方法,同时研究了真空腔内残余气压的测量和补偿方法.为了验证所提出方法的可行性,搭建了基于长度可变真空腔的激光干涉空气折射率测量系统,测量...     

双芯光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪的温度特性

对适用于温度传感的双芯光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪进行了研究,并通过将一根单模双芯光纤熔接在两根单模光纤之间,制得了双芯光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪型梳状滤波器.用干涉原理分别分析了该器件传输谱的自由空间谱宽与波长、双芯光纤的长度和两纤芯间的有效折射率差的关系,实验检测了它的温度特性.结果显示,随着温度的升高,该器件的传输谱发生红...     

Highly precise and stable displacement-measuring laser interferometer with differential optical paths

To achieve sub-nm precision of a displacement-measuring laser interferometer, its optical systematic error should be made as small as possible. In this paper, methods to reduce the optical path length changes and stray light reflections, as well as materials appropriate for main optical elements in the optical layout and the holders, are discussed. As a solution, a complete differential interferometer using a quartz plate inclined 45° to the optic axis is presented. This interferometer has null dead path length, fewer and smaller optical elements, and fewer boundary surfaces with air than conventional differential interferometers. Adopting the athermal glass (Ultran30) for interferometric prisms and aluminum alloy (A5056) for the interferometric prism holder was effective in reducing the drift of measurement caused by thermal changes. The interferometer made of Ultran30 glass with a A5056 holder achieved 0.31 nm/K thermal drift in the displacement measurement.     

Calibration of linear encoders with sub-nanometer uncertainty using an optical-zooming laser interferometer

The nonlinear errors of high-precision linear encoders were calibrated by using a nanometer-length calibrator that was based on the optical-zooming laser interferometer with an optical frequency comb. A transmission-type linear encoder and a reflection-type linear encoder were calibrated, and the cyclic nonlinear errors were evident. The magnitudes of the observed cyclic errors were 0.1 nm and 0.2 nm, respectively, and the best calibration uncertainties were 0.55 nm (k = 2). A traceable calibration service for linear encoders with the best calibration uncertainty in the sub-nanometer range has started based on this work.     

Q-switched fiber laser with controllable output spectrum

This paper reviews studies of the possibility of controlling the output spectrum of Qswitched fiber lasers. Various laser configurations for producing output radiation with characteristics optimized for specific applications, such as high-power pulses for micromachining of materials, probe pulses in fiber-optic sensor systems, etc., are considered. The mechanism of broadening of the lasing line is elucidated, and methods for controlling the output spectrum in Q-switched all-fiber lasers are described. Frequency tuning in the amplification line and generation of higher harmonics in nonlinear crystals are considered.     

Optoelectronic modulation of a laser interferometer in the infrared for accurate electron density variation measurements

An improved method for high-electron-density (10(17) cm(-3)) measurement in a shock-generated plasma is described. A laser interferometer operated at 3.39 mum is regularly modulated (1 MHz) by a LiNbO(3) electro-optical crystal. Thus electron-density variations of 8x10(15) cm(-3) mus(-1) and fluctuation of 8x10(14) cm(-3) can be simultaneously and accurately measured in a 4x4-cm conventional shock tube. Experimental results in reflected shock waves are presented.     

重复频率锁定的783 nm飞秒光纤激光器研制

设计并搭建了重复频率长时精确锁定的783 nm飞秒光纤激光器。该激光器基于全保偏非线性干涉环镜(NALM),实现掺铒光纤振荡器锁模脉冲输出,由与脉冲分离器级联的环境稳定掺铒光纤双级放大器进行功率放大,实现了平均功率1.30 W、脉冲宽度130 fs、重复频率77.1 MHz、1 560 nm脉冲输出;通过周期极化铌酸锂(PPLN)光学晶体倍频,获得了平均功率为0.52 W、脉冲宽度为140 fs、783 nm脉冲输出。通过重复频率监测及锁相环技术,进一步将掺铒光纤振荡器的重复频率溯源至参考铷原子钟,12 h内频率抖动峰-峰值为5 mHz、标准偏差为1.2 mHz。该激光器系统具有稳定性高、集成度高、体积小的特点。