Spatial phase stepping wavelength meter

A new way of evaluating the ratio between a reference wavelength radiation and an unknown wavelength radiation in a two-beam interferometer is proposed here. The advantage of two-beam interferometry is the sinusoidal fringe signal for which precise phase detection algorithms exist. Modern algorithms can cope with different sources of errors, and correct them. We recall the principle of the Michelson-type lambdameter using temporal interference and we introduce the Young-type lambdameter using spatial interference. The Young-type lambdameter is based on the acquisition of the interference pattern from two point sources (e.g. two ends of monomode fibres projected onto a CCD camera). The measurement of an unknown wavelength can be achieved by comparing with a reference wavelength. Accurate interference phase maps can be calculated using spatial phase shifting. In this way, each small group of contiguous pixels acts as a single interferometer, and the whole set of pixels corresponds to many hundreds or thousands of interferometric measurement system units. The analysis of uncertainties shows that resolutions better than 10(super -7) can be achieved. An advantage of the fibre wavelength metre described here is the measurement velocity that takes only a few seconds.