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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
First-order parameters for a general two-beam interferometer
Abstract:
We formulate the first-order properties of a general two-beam interferometer. We show that it may be completely described by the light source position and the location, orientation, and size of the two images of this light source as seen from the observation plane, plus the image-plane position and the location, orientation, and size of the two images of this observation screen as seen from the light source position, plus the optical path difference between the two possible optical paths. The parameters are quite similar to those previously defined by Steel [W. H. Steel, Interferometry, 2nd ed. (Cambridge U. Press, New York, 1983)].
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