SPIE Preseedings, the 7-th International Symposium on Laser Metrology and Applied to Science, Industry and Everyday Life, September, 2002, V.4900, p.1276-1289.

N.P. Shestakov, A.A. Ivanenko, and A.M. Sysoev
Kirensky Institute of Physics, Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federation

ABSTRACT

Traditionally, special optical systems are used for observation of interference fields. The name of that system is interferometer. Beam of light source is divided on two. The names of light beams are object and reference. The way in which, the light beams integrate and transfer in area of an image dependent from type interferometer. The Fizeau and Michelson interferometers are used so often.

In all these interferometers the course of reference and object light beams going in one direction is interrupted on photodetectors. Energy of light beams is absorbed a photosensitive material of the photodetector, being transformed in a photoelectric signal. The photodetectors of different types: photodiodes, photoelectric multiplying tubes pyroelectric, solid-state detectector arrays are use for registration of interferogram.

The known photodetectors considerably distort a course of light beams. They are large absorption, distort the form of a wavefront. This article provides presentation photodetector having sensitivity to distribution of an interference field of light waves in space and time. The photodetector has little distortion of a wavefront. It does not destruction an interference field. Thus, the process of a measurement influence on an interference field is a little. The photodetector can be used for registration of distribution of an interference field in space and its time history.

Usage of photodetector is for a measurement of light streams extending as in one, and opposite directions. The application of the photodetector allows simplifying the optical schemes. Beam splitters and reference mirrors are not necessary. Some example applications photodetector represented. A simple interferometer for a measuring transitions and holographic images is described.

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