Interferometer assemblies having reduced cyclic errors and system using the interferometer assemblies
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- an interferometer comprising a main assembly comprising two laterally displaced polarizing beam splitter interfaces, wherein the interfaces are positioned to receive two spatially separated beams and direct them each to make at least two passes to one or more remote objects,wherein each interface reflects and transmits each beam at least once, and the interferometer is configured to combine the two beams after they make the at least two passes to the one or more remote objects to produce an output beam comprising information about an optical path length difference between paths traveled by the two beams; and
an input assembly configured to derive the spatially separated beams from an input beam and to direct the spatially separated beams towards the main assembly.
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Abstract
In general, in one aspect, the invention features apparatus that include an interferometer including a main assembly having two laterally displaced polarizing beam splitter interfaces, wherein the interfaces are positioned to receive two spatially separated beams and direct them each to make at least two passes to one or more remote objects. Each interface reflects and transmits each beam at least once, and the interferometer is configured to combine the two beams after they make the at least two passes to the one or more remote objects to produce an output beam including information about an optical path length difference between paths traveled by the two beams.
89 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an interferometer comprising a main assembly comprising two laterally displaced polarizing beam splitter interfaces, wherein the interfaces are positioned to receive two spatially separated beams and direct them each to make at least two passes to one or more remote objects, wherein each interface reflects and transmits each beam at least once, and the interferometer is configured to combine the two beams after they make the at least two passes to the one or more remote objects to produce an output beam comprising information about an optical path length difference between paths traveled by the two beams; and an input assembly configured to derive the spatially separated beams from an input beam and to direct the spatially separated beams towards the main assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An interferometer, comprising:
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an input assembly comprising two laterally displaced polarizing beam splitter interfaces; and a main assembly comprising at least one polarizing beam splitter interface, wherein the interfaces in the input assembly are positioned to derive two spatially separated beams from an input beam, the main assembly directs the spatially separated beams each to make at least two passes to one or more remote objects, and the input assembly combines the two beams after they make the at least two passes to the one or more remote objects to produce an output beam comprising information about an optical path length difference between paths traveled the two beams. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method, comprising:
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using an input assembly of an interferometer to derive two spatially separated beams from an input beam and to direct the spatially separated beams towards a main assembly of the interferometer; using the main assembly to direct two spatially separated beams to each make at least two passes to one or more remote objects, wherein the main assembly comprises two laterally displaced polarizing beam splitter interfaces positioned to receive the two beams and each interface reflects and transmits each beam at least once; and combining the two beams after they make the at least two passes to the one or more remote objects to produce an output beam comprising information about an optical path length difference between the two beams.
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Specification