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The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
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Absolute distance measurement by multi-heterodyne interferometry using an electro-optic triple comb
Optics Letters
|February 15, 2018
Summary
This study presents a novel triple-comb interferometer for precise absolute distance measurement. The method balances range, resolution, and speed, achieving high accuracy over long distances.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Metrology
Background:
- Accurate absolute distance measurement is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
- Existing methods often face trade-offs between non-ambiguous range, resolution, update rate, and cost.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel triple-comb-based multi-heterodyne interferometer for absolute distance measurement.
- To achieve a balance between non-ambiguous range, resolution, update rate, and cost.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing three flat-top electro-optic frequency combs generated via cascaded intensity and phase modulators.
- Implementing a measurement scheme with rough and fine measurement stages.
- Determining unknown distances by detecting phase changes of consecutive synthetic wavelengths.
Main Results:
- Experimental demonstration of the triple-comb multi-heterodyne interferometer.
- Achieved agreement within 750 nm over an 80 m distance.
- Operated at a high update rate of 167 μs.
Conclusions:
- The triple-comb-based multi-heterodyne interferometer offers a promising solution for high-performance absolute distance measurement.
- The method successfully balances key performance metrics, overcoming limitations of previous techniques.
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