Method for the detection of polarization couplings in a birefringent optical system and application of this method to the assembling of the components of an optical system
US4893931A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jan 16, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01M11/331
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for the detection of localized polarization couplings in a birefringent guided optical system uses a polarizer, at 45.degree. with respect to the axes of the optical system placed at its output, and followed by a Michelson type interferometer in which one of the optical paths has a variable length. When the length of an optical path undergoes variation, interference fringes appear on half of the energy emitted. The difference in the length of the optical paths when fringes of this type appear characterizes the position of a localized polarization coupling, and the contrast between the fringes measured for this difference in length characterizes the amplitude ratio between the primary wave and the coupled wave. The invention can be applied in particular, to the assembly of the components of a birefringent optical system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.