Interferometer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An interferometer, comprising:
- a. A beam splitter;
b. A first reflective element mounted relative to the beam splitter defining a first optical path from the beam splitter to the first reflective element and back to the beam splitter;
c. An OPD element, referred to as the “
path-two OPD element,”
having a variable optical path length therethrough, mounted relative to the beam splitter defining a port optical path from a port of the interferometer through the OPD element to the beam splitter;
d. A second reflective element mounted relative to the beam splitter in a fixed angular relationship and defining a second optical path from the beam splitter to the second reflective element and back to the beam splitter, passing through the path-two OPD element at least once.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an improved interferometer design. Embodiments of the present invention provide a beam splitter, mounted with first and second reflective elements. An OPD element mounts relative to the other elements such that an optical path in the interferometer passes through the OPD element. The OPD element can be, for example, a plate comprising a refractive material mounted such that the thickness of the refractive material encountered by the optical path through the OPD element is variable. Various arrangements of components are described, and methods of constructing and methods of aligning such interferometers are also described.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An interferometer, comprising:
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a. A beam splitter; b. A first reflective element mounted relative to the beam splitter defining a first optical path from the beam splitter to the first reflective element and back to the beam splitter; c. An OPD element, referred to as the “
path-two OPD element,”
having a variable optical path length therethrough, mounted relative to the beam splitter defining a port optical path from a port of the interferometer through the OPD element to the beam splitter;d. A second reflective element mounted relative to the beam splitter in a fixed angular relationship and defining a second optical path from the beam splitter to the second reflective element and back to the beam splitter, passing through the path-two OPD element at least once. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of making an interferometer, comprising:
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a. Mounting a beam splitter and a first reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to each other, defining a first optical path from the beam splitter to the first reflective element and back to the beam splitter; b. Mounting a second reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to the beam splitter, defining a second optical path from the beam splitter to the second reflective element and back to the beam splitter; c. Mounting a path-two OPD element relative to the beam splitter such that light from a port of the interferometer passes through the path-two OPD element before reaching the beam splitter and such that the second optical path encounters a variable optical path length through the path-two OPD element. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method of generating interferometric information, comprising:
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a. Mounting a beam splitter and a first reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to each other, defining a first optical path from the beam splitter to the first reflective element and back to the beam splitter, and defining a first port along the path of light along the first optical path reflecting from the beam splitter; b. Mounting a second reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to the beam splitter, defining a second optical path from the beam splitter to the second reflective element and back to the beam splitter, and defining a second port along the path of light along the second optical path reflecting from the beam splitter; c. Mounting a path-two OPD element relative to the beam splitter such that light from the second port of the interferometer passes through the path-two OPD element before reaching the beam splitter and such that the second optical path encounters a variable optical path length through the path-two OPD element; d. Supplying light to at least one of the first and second ports; e. Determining interferometric information by detecting light at at least one of the first and second ports; and f. Placing a sample either between a light source and at least one of the first and second ports or between a detector and at least one of the first and second ports.
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24. An interferometer, comprising:
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a. a beam splitter; b. a first reflective element; c. a second reflective element; d. wherein the first and second reflective elements mount relative to the beam splitter and each other and define; a first optical path from the beam splitter, to the first reflective element, to the second reflective element, back to the first reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; ii. a second optical path from the beam splitter, to the second reflective element, to the first reflective element, back to the second reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; e. an OPD element, mounted relative to the first and second reflective elements such that the first optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements and such that the second optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of making an interferometer, comprising:
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a. Mounting a beam splitter, a first reflective element, and a second reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to each other, defining; a first optical path from the beam splitter, to the first reflective element, to the second reflective element, back to the first reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; ii. a second optical path from the beam splitter, to the second reflective element, for the first reflective element, back to the first reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; b. mounting an OPD element relative to the beam splitter, the first reflective element, and the second reflective element such that the first optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements and such that the second optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method of generating interferometric information, comprising:
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a. Mounting a beam splitter, a first reflective element, and a second reflective element in a fixed angular relationship to each other, defining; a first optical path from the beam splitter, to the first reflective element, to the second reflective element, back to the first reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; ii. a first port, along the path of light from the first optical path reflecting from the beam splitter; iii. a second optical path from the beam splitter, to the second reflective element, for the first reflective element, back to the first reflective element, and back to the beam splitter; iv. a second port, along the path of light from the second optical path reflecting from the beam splitter; b. mounting an OPD element relative to the beam splitter, the first reflective element, and the second reflective element such that the first optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements and such that the second optical path passes through the OPD element along a path of variable optical length between the first and second reflective elements. c. Supplying light to at least one of the first and second ports; d. Determining interferometric information by detecting light at at least one of the first and second ports; and e. Placing a sample between the light source and at least one of the first or second ports or between a detector and at least one of the first and second ports.
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Specification