Mach-Zehnder interferometry at framing rates of 10. 5--21 GHz
A simple beam splitter arrangement is used to divide a single ultrashort optical pulse into four beams of accurately known jitter-free delay. The 50-ps ruby laser beams are used in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to produce four interferograms in one shot of the CO/sub 2/-laser-irradiated plasma at an interframe delay of 95 ps. Fringe straightness of <1/10 wave error is attained in all four frames by overlapping reference and scene beams precisely on the film while relaxing the constraint of the high spatial coherence necessary in shearing and folding shear interferometry. Such high fringe quality is required to record properly the observed fractional fringe shifts in a plasma of electron density up to n/sub e/ = 5 x 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/. The four-frame interferogram, recorded on Polaroid-type 667 film, is available immediately after the shot is taken. Neither a streak camera for recording timing sequences nor wavelength filters for rejection of plasma light was required. Simple rearrangement of optical components allows framing rates of 10.5 or 21.0 GHz.
- Research Organization:
- University of British Columbia, Physics Department, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 2A6
- OSTI ID:
- 6743313
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Opt.; (United States), Vol. 26:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Classical and holographic interferometry systems combined to document inertial fusion experiments
Classical and holographic interferometry systems combined to document inertial fusion experiments
Related Subjects
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
DIAGNOSTIC USES
PLASMA FOCUS
PLASMA FOCUS DEVICES
PULSES
TIMING PROPERTIES
INTERFEROMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
USES
700102* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Diagnostics