Optical diffractometry
JOSA A, Vol. 26, Issue 3, pp. 540-547 (2009)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.26.000540
Enhanced HTML 
Acrobat PDF (764 KB)
Abstract
Interference of light has numerous metrological applications because the optical path difference (OPD) can be varied at will between the interfering waves in the interferometers. We show how one can desirably change the optical path difference in diffraction. This leads to many novel and interesting metrological applications including high-precision measurements of displacement, phase change, refractive index profile, temperature gradient, diffusion coefficient, and coherence parameters, to name only a few. The subject fundamentally differs from interferometry in the sense that in the latter the measurement criterion is the change in intensity or fringe location, while in the former the criterion is the change in the visibility of fringes with an already known intensity profile. The visibility can vary from zero to one as the OPD changes by a half-wave. Therefore, measurements with the accuracy of a few nanometers are quite feasible. Also, the possibility of changing the OPD in diffraction allows us to use Fresnel diffraction in Fourier spectrometry, to enhance or suppress diffracted fields, and to build phase singularities that have many novel and useful applications.
© 2009 Optical Society of America
OCIS Codes
(030.1640) Coherence and statistical optics : Coherence
(120.3930) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Metrological instrumentation
(120.5050) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Phase measurement
(120.6780) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Temperature
(260.1960) Physical optics : Diffraction theory
(260.6042) Physical optics : Singular optics
ToC Category:
Physical Optics
History
Original Manuscript: September 30, 2008
Revised Manuscript: December 15, 2008
Manuscript Accepted: December 16, 2008
Published: February 17, 2009
Citation
M. Taghi Tavassoly, Mohammad Amiri, Ahmad Darudi, Rasoul Aalipour, Ahad Saber, and Ali-Reza Moradi, "Optical diffractometry," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 26, 540-547 (2009)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/josaa/abstract.cfm?URI=josaa-26-3-540
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Citation lists with outbound citation links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article level metrics are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
Related Journal Articles 
- Limitations of interferometry due to the flicker noise of laser diodes (JOSAA)
- Partially coherent conical beams (OL)
- Wave-Front Sensing with a Sampling Field Sensor (AO)
- Correlation singularities in partially coherent electromagnetic beams (OL)
- Topological reactions of correlation functions in partially coherent electromagnetic beams (JOSAA)
Related Conference Papers
- An Experiment to observe Macroscopic Quantum Coherence in an rf-SQUID
- An Experiment to observe Macroscopic Quantum Coherence in an rf-SQUID
- A tipping pulse scheme for an rf-SQUID qubit
- A tipping pulse scheme for an rf-SQUID qubit
- Coherent Driving of the Persistent Current Qubit
- Coherent Driving of the Persistent Current Qubit
- Isolation Structures for the Solid-State Quantum-to-Classical Interface
- Isolation Structures for the Solid-State Quantum-to-Classical Interface
- Robust control of realistic quantum gates
- Robust control of realistic quantum gates
« Previous Article | Next Article »
OSA is a member of 