Abstract

An interferometer is described in which the two interfering light beams follow the same geometrical path; they differ in their direction of polarization. The interferometer is used for the measurement of a difference in the optical path between the lengths of two etalons I and II, each bounded by reflecting or semireflecting surfaces. By using plane polarized light, in each etalon a quarter wavelength plate at 45° with the plane of polarization, and an analyzer in the 90° position, interference will result between a beam (12) reflected by the top semireflecting mirror of I and the opaque one at the bottom of II, and a beam (21) reflected by the bottom mirror of I and the top one of II. Beams of other combinations of reflections are extinguished.

© 1956 Optical Society of America

Fabry-Perot Interferometer with Finite Apertures

K. L. Vander Sluis and J. R. McNally
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(1) 39-46 (1956)

Multiple-Beam Interferometric Method of Studying Small Vibrations

B. S. Thornton and J. C. Kelly
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(3) 191-194 (1956)

Modified Method of Fizeau Fringes for Thickness Measurements*

H. Osterberg and D. LaMarre
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(10) 777-778 (1956)

Photoelectric Method for the Measurement of the Polarization of the Fluorescence of Solutions

Gregorio Weber
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(11) 962-970 (1956)

On the Properties of Polarization Elements as Used in Optical Instruments. III. Angular Aperture Functions of a Positive Dichroic Film Polarizer*†‡

Lincoln Baxter
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 46(6) 435-442 (1956)