Abstract

Absolute distance measurements can be performed with an interferometric method that uses only a single tunable laser. This method has one major drawback, because a small target movement of the order of one wavelength during a measurement will be interpreted as a movement of one synthetic wavelength. This effect is usually mitigated by adding a second (nonscanning) laser. We show that absolute distance measurements can be performed with only one laser if the movements encountered are smooth, on the time scale of one measurement. In this case the movement errors can be compensated with a simple algorithm that combines several subsequent measurements. First experimental results show good agreement with theory.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

Air-dispersion measurement by second-harmonic heterodyne interferometry

Yves Salvadé, René Dändliker, Alain Courteville, and Michaël Zickar
Opt. Lett. 27(16) 1424-1426 (2002)

Absolute distance measurement using sinusoidal phase modulating frequency sweeping interferometry with a reference interferometer

Shihua Zhang, Dandna Shan, Hao Jin, Yingtian Lou, Liping Yan, and Benyong Chen
Opt. Express 30(21) 38880-38895 (2022)

Optimum frequency selection in multifrequency interferometry

Catherine E. Towers, David P. Towers, and Julian D. C. Jones
Opt. Lett. 28(11) 887-889 (2003)

Sinusoidal phase modulating absolute distance measurement interferometer combining frequency-sweeping and multi-wavelength interferometry

Shihua Zhang, Zheyi Xu, Benyong Chen, Liping Yan, and Jiandong Xie
Opt. Express 26(7) 9273-9284 (2018)

Generalized frequency selection in multifrequency interferometry

Catherine E. Towers, David P. Towers, and Julian D. C. Jones
Opt. Lett. 29(12) 1348-1350 (2004)