Sinusoidal wavelength-scanning interferometer with a superluminescent diode for step-profile measurement.
In sinusoidal phase-modulating interferometry an optical path length (OPD) larger than a wavelength is measured by detection of sinusoidal phase-modulation amplitude Z(b) of the interference signal that is produced by sinusoidal scanning of the wavelength of a light source. A light source with a large scanning width of wavelength is created by use of a superluminescent laser diode for the error in the measured value obtained by Z(b) to be smaller than half of the central wavelength. In this situation the measured value can be combined with a fractional value of the OPD obtained from the conventional phase of the interference signal. A sinusoidal wavelength-scanning interferometer with the light source measures an OPD over a few tens of micrometers with a high accuracy of a few nanometers.
Sasaki
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Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2, Niigata-shi 950-2181, Japan. osami@eng.niigata-u.ac.jp
Murata
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Suzuki
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