Division of Amplitude Interferometry

doi:10.1117/3.2303.ch23

Book: The New Physical Optics Notebook: Tutorials in Fourier Optics

Editor(s): George O. Reynolds; John B. DeVelis; George B. Parrent Jr.; Brian J. Thompson

Published: 1989

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2303.ch23

Abstract

There are numerous types of interferometers that are based on a division of the wave amplitude. One or more of these wavefronts are changed before recombination, which causes them to interfere. In the most general case, there can be N wavefronts such as in a Fabry-Perot interferometer; however, in the more common interferometers, we have two (N = 2) wavefronts. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to cover all such interferometers. Instead, we will cover the more common types and refer the reader to the literature for the others.