A novel electronically scanned white-light interferometer using a Mach-Zehnder approach

Author

Marshall, Raymond H. ; Ning, Ya Nong ; Jiang, Xiangqian ; Palmer, Andrew W. ; Meggitt, Beverley T. ; Grattan, Kenneth T V

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Electron. & Inf. Eng., City Univ., London, UK

Volume

14

Issue

3

fYear

1996

fDate

3/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

397

Lastpage

402

Abstract

A theoretical analysis and experimental evaluation of a novel Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), used as a recovery interferometer in an electronically scanned white-light interferometer is reported. This modified version of a MZI has the advantages of being very simple and compact, with high stability and does not introduce any spatial “misoverlapping” of the beams. In addition, since only one beamsplitter is employed in the interferometer (instead of the usual two used in a conventional MZI), the system is relatively easy to implement and at low cost. Furthermore, this configuration can be simply set to cover a wide range of optical path difference values by simply changing the angle and position of one of the mirrors. This gives the interferometer the advantage of being easily adapted far a range of different measurement applications

Keywords

Mach-Zehnder interferometers; fibre optic sensors; Mach-Zehnder interferometer; different measurement applications; electronically scanned white-light interferometer; high stability; low cost; mirror angle; mirror position; modified version; one beamsplitter; optical fiber sensing; optical path difference values; recovery interferometer; spatial misoverlapping; Costs; Dynamic range; Frequency measurement; Interference; Mirrors; Optical fibers; Optical interferometry; Optical sensors; Position measurement; Stability;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/50.485599

Filename

485599