Title :
A new optical wavelength ratio measurement apparatus: the fringe counting sigmameter
Author :
Juncar, Patrick P. ; Elandaloussi, Hadj ; Himbert, Marc E. ; Pinard, J. ; Razet, Annick
Author_Institution :
Bureau Nat. de Metrologie, Inst. Nat. de Metrologie, Paris, France
fDate :
6/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A new, compact and achromatic Michelson-type interferometer with a variable path difference is presented. This “fringe-counting” sigmameter allows measurement of optical wavelength ratios between a laser of unknown wavelength and a reference laser of known wavelength. This apparatus, maintained in a vacuum, measures interference order variations in two stages: integer counting of around 400000 and fractional counting (also called “excess fraction”) with an uncertainty of 10-3. From these measurements, this “sigmameter” can determine laser wavelength from 0.36 μm to 1.5 μm with an accuracy of 1.10-8 using a reference stabilized He-Ne laser
Keywords :
Michelson interferometers; frequency measurement; gas lasers; helium; laser variables measurement; neon; optical variables measurement; 0.36 to 1.5 mum; He-Ne; He-Ne laser; achromatic Michelson-type interferometer; error sources; fractional counting; fringe counting sigmameter; fringe-counting sigmameter; integer counting; interference order variations; lambdameter; laser wavelength; optical wavelength ratio; optical wavelength ratio measurement apparatus; path difference; reference laser; reference stabilized laser; Arm; Assembly; Frequency measurement; Helium; Interference; Laboratories; Laser stability; Metrology; Optical interferometry; Wavelength measurement;
Journal_Title :
Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Transactions on
