An unmodulated bi-directional fringe-counting interferometer system for measuring displacement

A bi-directional fringe-counting Michelson interferometer is described that is used in conjunction with a frequency-stabilised laser for precise length measurement. The two counting signals, in phase quadrature and sinusoidally related to path difference, are produced by a novel system that does not employ any form of modulation. Under optimum conditions, the instrument is capable of measuring displacement to a precision of 0.1 μm and the correct fringe-count is maintained even with a signal attenuation corresponding to a 99% loss of intensity in one arm of the interferometer. This performance can be further improved by the application of an automatic gain control system. The interferometer is simple in concept, cheap to produce and easy to set up and align.