METHOD FOR MEASURING PHASE SHIFT OF LIGHT WAVES

FIELD: measurement technology. SUBSTANCE: method includes simultaneous illumination of interferometer reference and measuring channels with radiation beam; alignment of reference and measuring channel beams, as well as generation and recording of interference pattern; its conversion into electric signal by means of photoplate; control of interference pattern recording by means of impulse inquiry of photoplate cells; organization of photoplate work area in the form of first set of photocells equal to first period of interference pattern; setting of reference signal and output code bit number p; organization of measurement cycles including sequence of p time steps, inquiry being made of photocell disposed in center of set to halve this set in each of them starting from first set; comparison of inquired photocell signal with reference signal; selection one of set halves of preceding time step as set for next time step using for the purpose results of comparison; generation of p-bit output code using all comparison results from p time steps, this code functioning as indicator of light wave phase shift. EFFECT: enhanced speed and measurement accuracy. 2 cl, 4 dwg