Robert F Norton

US Patent:

42783518, Jul 14, 1981

Filed:

May 9, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/037560

Inventors:

James B. Breckinridge - La Canada CA
Robert H. Norton - La Canada CA
Rudolf A. Schindler - Sierra Madre CA
Robert A. Frosch

International Classification:

G01B 902

US Classification:

356345

Abstract:

A high resolution interferometer is provided which is insensitive to slight misalignment of its elements, avoids channeling in the spectrum, generates a maximum equal path fringe contrast, produces an even two-sided interferogram without critical matching of the wedge angles of the beamsplitter and compensator wedges, and is optically phase tunable. The interferometer includes a mirror along the path of each beam component produced by the beamsplitter, for reflecting the beam component from the beamsplitter to a corresponding retroreflector and for reflecting the beam returned by the retroreflector back to the beamsplitter. The fact that the mirror "covers" the retroreflector, so that the mirror reflects the beam component before and after it reaches the retroreflector, results in the system being insensitive to slight tilting of the mirror. A wedge located along each beam component path, is large enough to "cover" the retroreflector, so that each beam component passes through the wedge during movement towards the retroreflector and away therefrom, to assure that all portions of a beam component pass through the same thickness of glass of the wedge.