Interferometer for optically measuring an object

US8115933B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Polytec GmbH · CA

Inventors

• Christian Rembe · Waldbronn, DE
• Tobias Haist · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 28, 2010
• Grant date: Feb 14, 2012
• Expiry date: Apr 28, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B5/32
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An interferometer for optically measuring an object (10), including a light source (1), at least one beam splitter (2) and at least one detector (12a, 12b), with the beam splitter being arranged in the beam path of the light source such that a light beam created by the light source is split into a working beam (3) and a reference beam (4). The interferometer is embodied such that the working beam impinges on the object (10) to be measured and the working beam is at least partially reflected by the object and interfered with the reference beam on the detector (12a, 12b). Here it is essential that the interferometer is provided with a spatial light modulator, which comprises a hologram control unit (9) and a hologram reconstruction unit (8) connected thereto, with the hologram reconstruction unit being arranged in the beam path of the working beam between the beam splitter (2) and the object (10) and the hologram control unit (9) controlling the hologram reconstruction unit (8) such that the hologram reconstruction unit creates an optionally predetermined hologram such that the working beam is deflected and/or split by the hologram reconstruction unit.