Dual surface interferometer

Patent · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:864236

Pardue, Robert M ^[1]; Williams, Richard R ^[2]

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1. Knoxville, TN
2. Oak Ridge, TN

A double-pass interferometer is provided which allows direct measurement of relative displacement between opposed surfaces. A conventional plane mirror interferometer may be modified by replacing the beam-measuring path cube-corner reflector with an additional quarter-wave plate. The beam path is altered to extend to an opposed plane mirrored surface and the reflected beam is placed in interference with a retained reference beam split from dual-beam source and retroreflected by a reference cube-corner reflector mounted stationary with the interferometer housing. This permits direct measurement of opposed mirror surfaces by laser interferometry while doubling the resolution as with a conventional double-pass plane mirror laser interferometer system.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4334778
• OSTI ID: 864236
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

dual
surface
interferometer
double-pass
provided
allows
direct
measurement
relative
displacement
opposed
surfaces
conventional
plane
mirror
modified
replacing
beam-measuring
path
cube-corner
reflector
additional
quarter-wave
plate
beam
altered
extend
mirrored
reflected
placed
interference
retained
reference
split
dual-beam
source
retroreflected
mounted
stationary
housing
permits
laser
interferometry
doubling
resolution
mirror surfaces
direct measurement
opposed surfaces
plane mirror
reference beam
beam source
beam path
reflected beam
mirror surface
opposed surface
direct measure
permits direct
laser interferometer
mirrored surface
wave plate
/356/