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US4883357A
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Dual high stability interferometer
Assignee: Zygo Corp
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Filing: 1989-03-01
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Granted: 1989-11-28
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Expires: 2009-03-01
Abstract
Abstract A dual high stability interferometer system capable of measuring linear and angular displacement simultaneously of a movable plane mirror (90) comprises a frequency stabilized laser input beam (10) which is divided into two parallel spatially displaced beams by a beamsplitter (14). An optical system (20) is disposed to produce a first output beam having two orthogonally polarized components in which the phase difference between the two components of the third output beam is related to four times the linear displacement of the movable plane mirror (90) at a first position. A polarizer (93) mixes the orthogonal components of the third output beam with the interference between the two polarization components being detected by a photodetector (94) which produces an electrical signal (96) from which a phase meter/accumulator (99) extracts the phase change, with this phase change being related to four times the linear displacement of the movable mirror (90) at the first position. The optical system (20) also produce a second output beam whose orthogonally polarized components have a phase difference related to four times the linear displacement of the movable mirror (90) at a second position. Another polarizer (95) mixes these orthogonal components and a photoelectric detector (194) and another phase meter/accumulator (109) cooperate to provide a second measured phase which is related to four times the linear displacement of the movable mirror (90) at the second position.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl A. Zanoni
- 👤 Alan H. Field
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 21:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B9/00; G01B9/02; G01B9/02015; G01B9/02017; G01B9/02019; G01B11/00; G01B11/26; G01B9/02018; G01B2290/00; G01B2290/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
386 words
A dual high stability interferometer system capable of measuring linear displacement and angular displacement simultaneously of a movable plane mirror comprising a source of a frequency stabilized input beam with two linear orthogonally polarized components; means for dividing said input beam into two parallel, spatially displaced beams; optical system means comprising a stationary plane reference mirror, said optical system being disposed to reflect one polarization component of one of said spatially displaced beams twice from a first position on said movable plane mirror to produce a first output beam and to reflect the other polarization component of said spatially displaced beams twice from said stationary plane mirror to produce a second output beam; means disposed for recombining said first and second output beams into a third output beam having two orthogonally polarized components in which the phase difference between the two components of the third output beam is related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said first position; means disposed for mixing said orthogonal components of said third output beam; means disposed to produce a first electrical measurement signal; means associated with said first electrical measurement signal for indicating a first measured phase, said first measured phase being related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said first position; means disposed to reflect one polarization component of the second of said spatially displaced beams twice from a second position on said movable plane mirror to produce a fourth output beam and to reflect the other polarization component of said second of said spatially displaced beams twice from said stationary plane mirror to produce a fifth output beam; means disposed for recombining said fourth and fifth output beams into an sixth output beam having two orthogonally polarized components in which the phase difference between the two components of the sixth output beam is related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said second position; means disposed for mixing said orthogonal components of said sixth output beam; means disposed to produce a second electrical measurement signal; and means associated with said second electrical measurement signal for indicating a second measured phase, said second measured phase being related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said second position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
386 words
A dual high stability interferometer system capable of measuring linear displacement and angular displacement simultaneously of a movable plane mirror comprising a source of a frequency stabilized input beam with two linear orthogonally polarized components; means for dividing said input beam into two parallel, spatially displaced beams; optical system means comprising a stationary plane reference mirror, said optical system being disposed to reflect one polarization component of one of said spatially displaced beams twice from a first position on said movable plane mirror to produce a first output beam and to reflect the other polarization component of said spatially displaced beams twice from said stationary plane mirror to produce a second output beam; means disposed for recombining said first and second output beams into a third output beam having two orthogonally polarized components in which the phase difference between the two components of the third output beam is related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said first position; means disposed for mixing said orthogonal components of said third output beam; means disposed to produce a first electrical measurement signal; means associated with said first electrical measurement signal for indicating a first measured phase, said first measured phase being related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said first position; means disposed to reflect one polarization component of the second of said spatially displaced beams twice from a second position on said movable plane mirror to produce a fourth output beam and to reflect the other polarization component of said second of said spatially displaced beams twice from said stationary plane mirror to produce a fifth output beam; means disposed for recombining said fourth and fifth output beams into an sixth output beam having two orthogonally polarized components in which the phase difference between the two components of the sixth output beam is related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said second position; means disposed for mixing said orthogonal components of said sixth output beam; means disposed to produce a second electrical measurement signal; and means associated with said second electrical measurement signal for indicating a second measured phase, said second measured phase being related to four times the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror at said second position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said frequency stabilized input beam source comprises a laser.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said input beam components are of the same optical frequency.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said input beam components are of different optical frequencies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said input beam components are of the same optical frequency.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said input beam components are of different optical frequencies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said input source further comprises means for providing an electrical reference signal to said means for indicating said first and second measured phases, said reference signal corresponding to the frequency difference between said two different stabilized frequencies.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said input source further comprises means for providing an electrical reference signal to said means for indicating said first and second measured phases, said reference signal corresponding to the frequency difference between said two different stabilized frequencies.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said optical system means further comprises two quarter-wave phase retardation plates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said optical system means further comprises a first retroreflector.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for recombining said first and second output beams into said third output beam comprises said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said means for recombining said first and second output beams into said third output beam comprises said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for mixing said orthogonal components of said third output beam comprises a first polarizer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for mixing said orthogonal components of said third output beam comprises a first polarizer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for producing said first electrical measurement signal comprises a first photoelectric detector.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for producing said first electrical measurement signal comprises a first photoelectric detector.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for indicating said first measured phase comprises a first phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for indicating said first measured phase comprises a first phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for producing said fourth and fifth output beams comprises said optical system and a retroreflector.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for producing said fourth and fifth output beams comprises said optical system and a retroreflector.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said optical system means comprises another retroreflector.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 22 wherein said optical system means comprises another retroreflector.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 23 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 23 wherein said means for recombining said fourth and fifth output beam comprises said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 26 wherein said means for recombining said fourth and fifth output beam comprises said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said means for recombining said fourth and fifth output beam comprises said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 29 wherein said frequency stabilized input beam source comprises a laser.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 26 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said optical system means further comprises a polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for producing said second electrical measurement signal comprises a second photodetector.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for producing said second electrical measurement signal comprises a second photodetector.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for indicating said second measured phase comprises a second phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for indicating said second measured phase comprises a second phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
48 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said means for dividing said input beam into said two parallel spatially displaced beams, said two quarter-wave phase retardation plates, and said stationary plane mirror are mounted with minimal air paths and maximal thermal contact with said polarization beamsplitter.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
59 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means associated with said means for indicating said first and second measured phases for providing an output equal to one-half the sum of the outputs associated which said first and second measured phase indicating means for providing an output indicative of the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 40 wherein said means for indicating said first measured phase comprises a first phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 41 wherein said means for indicating said second measured phase comprises a second phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
59 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 39 further comprising means associated with said means for indicating said first and second measured phases for providing an output equal to one-half the sum of the outputs associated which said first and second measured phase indicating means for providing an output indicative of the linear displacement of said movable plane mirror.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
59 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 39 further comprising means associated with said means for indicating said first and second measured phases for providing an output equal to the difference between the outputs associated with said first and second measured phase indicating means for providing said output directly proportional to the angular displacement of said movable plane mirror.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
59 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means associated with said means for indicating said first and second measured phases for providing an output equal to the difference between the outputs associated with said first and second measured phase indicating means for providing said output directly proportional to the angular displacement of said movable plane mirror.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 45 wherein said means for indicating said first measured phase comprises a first phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
22 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 46 wherein said means for indicating said second measured phase comprises a second phase meter/accumulator.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 39 wherein said frequency stabilized input beam source comprises a laser.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 40 wherein said frequency stabilized input beam source comprises a laser.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
18 words
An interferometer system in accordance with claim 45 wherein said frequency stabilized input beam source comprises a laser.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4752133A
Cited
US4746216A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-11-27 | 1993-05-29 | 1993-11-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-11-27 | 1997-05-29 | 1997-11-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-11-27 | 2001-05-29 | 2001-11-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |