Patent · US Expired

Fringe visibility enhancement arrangement and method

US4904082A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
1References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 27, 1988
Grant dateFeb 27, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 27, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J9/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An arrangement for smoothing a coherent laser beam of a limited yet substantial coherence length due to the presence of several discrete optical frequencies therein is operative for subdividing the coherent laser beam into a plurality of partial beams of substantially the same intensity. Each of the partial beams is then conducted in a different path, the length of at least one of which differs from that of another path by a distance amounting to a fraction of the coherence length. At least some of the partial beams are subsequently combined into a coherent output beam in which the partial beam issued from the one path is shifted by the distance relative to that issued from the other path.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.