Mirror surface testing by optical feedback interferometry using laser diode

A simple and robust interferometer using a laser diode subject to optical feedback is presented. Fringes phase can be locked by the optical feedback within less than 0.2(pi) (peak to valley value) even when the interferometer is placed on a wooden table where the fringe movement caused by vibration amounts to about 6(pi) (peak to valley value) in the absence of optical feedback. The locked fringe pattern with spatial carriers can be analyzed by a fringe analyzer at video rate and the measured results of a spherical mirror showed the same result and repeatability as on an optical bench. We developed an optical feedback interferometric head which is easily to set both vertically and horizontally corresponding to situation of sample.

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