title: Differential phase decoder in a polarized optical heterodyne interferometer.
abstract: A differential-phase decoder (DPD) together with a polarization common-path optical heterodyne interferometer is set up. Based on this interferometric configuration and a novel balanced-detector scheme, the performance of the quantum-noise-limited differential-phase decoder is demonstrated and analyzed. The minimum-detectable differential phase is on the order of 10(-7) rad/sqrt Hz when a 2.5 mW He-Ne laser is used. Verified experimentally, the DPD is immune to the common-phase noise induced by an electro-optic phase modulator or by thermal disturbance within the interferometer. This signifies that the minimum-detectable differential phase can become 10(-8) rad/sqrt Hz if a 300 mW continuous wave laser is employed instead.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. cchou@ym.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chien
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Hui-Kang
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Chien-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jheng-Syong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D011789:Quantum Theory