Lateral shearing with a pair of double Fresnel rhombs for nulling interferometry

Naoshi Baba1, Keita Kobayashi, Yusuke Kogoma

  • 1Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

Optics Letters
|September 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary

A new lateral-shearing interferometer using Fresnel rhombs offers simultaneous shearing and nulling for detecting exoplanets. Computer simulations and experiments confirm its effectiveness, particularly for segmented-mirror telescopes like the Thirty-Meter Telescope.

Related Concept Videos

Interference and Diffraction02:18

Interference and Diffraction

Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element01:16

Shear on the Horizontal Face of a Beam Element

To understand shear on the flat side of a prismatic beam element, consider the vertical and horizontal shearing forces, and the normal forces, acting on the element. The element's upper (U) and lower (L) sections, which are divided by the beam's neutral axis, are examined. The equilibrium of these forces is determined by applying the equilibrium equation, which helps identify the horizontal shearing force. This force is directly related to the bending moments and the cross-section's first...
Symmetric Member in Bending01:07

Symmetric Member in Bending

In the study of the mechanics of materials, analyzing the behavior of prismatic members under opposing couples is crucial for understanding internal stress distributions, which are essential for structural design. When subjected to couples, a prismatic member experiences internal forces that maintain equilibrium. A couple, characterized by two equal and opposite forces, creates a moment but no resultant force. The internal forces at any section cut of the member must balance these external...
Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy01:26

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...