Abstract

We report the development and initial implementation of what we believe to be a new rapid- spatial-scan millimeter-wave interferometer for plasma density measurements. The fast scan is effected by electronic frequency sweeping of a wideband $\left(180–280\text{\hspace{0.17em} GHz}\right)$ backward-wave oscillator whose output is focused onto a fixed blazed diffraction grating. The system, which augments the rotating-grating scanned multiview H-1 heliac interferometer, can sweep the plasma cross section in a period of less than 1 ms with a beam diameter in the plasma of $20\text{\hspace{0.17em} mm}$ and phase noise of the order of $0.01\text{\hspace{0.17em} rad}$.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

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