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Interferometer

  • US 4,830,496 A
  • Filed: 01/22/1988
  • Issued: 05/16/1989
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An interferometer comprising:

  • A. a reference reflective element comprising first and second coplanar reference reflective surfaces;

    B. a reference light source, fixed in position with respect to the reference reflective element, for emitting a narrow light beam;

    C. a pivot element including a block of refractive material having first and second parallel faces, first and second coplanar pivot-element reflective surfaces on the first face, and first and second coplanar transmissive/reflective surfaces on the second face, the pivot element being positioned for reception and division of the light beam by the first transmissive/reflective surface into first and second components directed to the first pivot-element and reference reflective surfaces, respectively, and therefrom to the second reference and pivot-element reflective surfaces, respectively, and therefrom to the second transmissive/reflective surface to direct portions of first and second components along a common exit path, the paths of incidence and reflection from the reference reflective surface thereby defining a plane of incidence and reflection, the pivot element being pivotably mounted for pivoting about a pivot axis normal to the plane of incidence and reflectionwherein the angles a0 formed with the normals to the first and second coplanar reference reflective surfaces by the light-beam components incident thereon are substantially equal to the value given by the equation
    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">a.sub.0 =arcsin[N.sup.2 -N(N.sup.2 -1).sup.1/2 ].sup.1/2,where N is the index of refraction of the block of refractive material.

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