Common-path optical heterodyne profilometer: A configuration

Chien Chou, Jenn Chyang Shyu, Yeu chuen Huang, Chen Kee Yuan

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

A novel configuration that combines a linearly polarized He-Ne laser and a birefringent lens to produce a common-path polarized optical heterodyne profilometer with respect to the heterodyned P and S waves has been set up. In this profilometer a linear polarized frequency-stabilized He-Ne laser was used with an acousto-optical modulator to replace the Zeeman laser as the light source that had two polarization eigenstates in different temporal frequencies. The proposed interferometer shows a more symmetric and ideal common-path structure than the conventional optical heterodyne profilometers with the Zeeman laser. The phase error aroused by the elliptical polarization and the nonorthogonality of the two eigenpolarization modes of the Zeeman laser can be reduced. The system’s resolution in the vertical direction reaches 2 å, and in a 27-mm scanning range the repeatability of the surface profile measurements is shown to be 5 å.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4137-4142
Number of pages6
JournalApplied Optics
Volume37
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - 01 07 1998
Externally publishedYes

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