Interference comparator for laser diode wavelength and wavelength instability measurement

Method and construction of a setup, which allows measuring the wavelength and wavelength instability of the light emitted by a laser diode (or a laser light source with a limited time coherence in general), is presented. The system is based on Twyman-Green interferometer configuration. Proportions of phases of the tested and reference laser’s interference fringe obtained for a set optical path difference are a measure of the unknown wavelength. Optical path difference in interferometer is stabilized. The interferometric comparison is performed in vacuum chamber. The techniques of accurate fringe phase measurements are proposed. The obtained relative standard uncertainty of wavelength evaluation in the tested setup is about 2.5 ⋅ 10−8. Uncertainty of wavelength instability measurement is an order of magnitude better. Measurement range of the current setup is from 500 nm to 650 nm. The proposed technique allows high accuracy wavelength measurement of middle or low coherence sources of light. In case of the enlarged and complex frequency distribution of the laser, the evaluated wavelength can act as the length master in interferometer for displacement measurement.