title: Interferometric Sensor of Wavelength Detuning Using a Liquid Crystalline Polymer Waveplate.
abstract: Operation of a polarization interferometer for measurement of the wavelength changes of a tunable semiconductor laser was investigated. A λ/8 waveplate made from liquid crystalline polymer is placed in one of interferometers' arms in order to generate two output signals in quadrature. Wavelength was measured with resolution of 2 pm in the wavelength range 628-635 nm. Drift of the interferometer, measured in the period of 500 s, was 8 nm, which corresponded to the change in the wavelength of 1.3 pm. If needed, wavelength-dependent Heydemann correction can be used to expand the range of operation of such interferometer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metrology and Optoelectronics, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland. pwierzba@eti.pg.gda.pl.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wierzba
keywords: liquid crystalline polymer; polarization interferometry; tunable laser; two-beam interferometer; waveplate