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Real-time diffraction interferometer

  • US 4,624,569 A
  • Filed: 07/18/1983
  • Issued: 11/25/1986
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1983
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for monitoring quality of an optical beam wavefront, said apparatus comprising:

  • (a) converging means for bringing said beam to a focus;

    (b) separating means positionable in said beam downstream of said converging means, said separating means being only partially transparent to said beam except for a pinhole-apertured portion of said separating means that is substantially transparent to said beam, said separating means comprising homogeneous diffraction grating means of uniform grating period for causing a first portion of said beam to be separated into a plurality of components, said components of said first portion of said beam being of different phases with respect to each other, said pinhole-apertured portion of said separating means defining an aperture that is dimensioned to function as a point diffraction means for causing a second portion of said beam to be transmitted with a substantially spherical wavefront, said second portion of said beam undergoing interference with each of said components of said first portion of said beam; and

    (c) detecting means positionable downstream of said separating means, said detecting means separately indicating the interference of each of said components of said first portion of said beam with said second portion of said beam.

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