Optical Interferometry

When the first edition of Optical Interferometry was published, interferometry was regarded as a rather esoteric method of making measurements, largely confined to the laboratory. Today, however, besides its use in several fields of research, it has applications in fields as diverse as measurement of length and velocity, sensors for rotation, acceleration, vibration and electrical and magnetic fields, as well as in microscopy and nanotechnology. Most topics are discussed first at a level accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of physical optics, then a more detailed treatment of the topic is undertaken, and finally each topic is supplemented by a reference list of more than 1000 selected original publications in total. Historical development of interferometry The laser as a light source Two-beam interference Techniques for frequency stabilization Coherence Electronic phase measurements Multiple-beam interference Quantum effects in optical interference Extensive coverage of the applications of interferometry, such as measurements of length, optical testing, interference microscopy, interference spectroscopy, Fourier-transform spectroscopy, interferometric sensors, nonlinear interferometers, stellar interferometry, and studies of space-time and gravitation

A practically focused guide to optical interferometry, bringing together core concepts needed to plan observations, analyse data and reconstruct images.

The accurate measurements of surface topography are becoming important to many applications in both engineering and science. Optical interferometry is considered a preferable technique for featuring accurate 3D surface profiling since it is non-contacting, non-destructive and highly accurate. In combination with computers and other electronic devices, optical interferometry has become faster, more reliable, more convenient and more robust. There is now a wealth of new optical interferometry techniques on the market, or being developed in academia, that can measure surface topography with high precision. Each method has both its strong points and its limitations. This book explains in detail the basics of optical interferometry, their common language, generic features and limitations, and their simulation and uncertainties. Moreover, it provides an introduction to new frontiers in optical interferometry, including terahertz technology and optical frequency combs.

Optical methods of measurements are the most sensitive techniques of noncontact investigations, and at the same time, they are fast as well as accurate which increases reproducibility of observed results. In recent years, the importance of optical interferometry methods for research has dramatically increased, and applications range from precise surface testing to finding extrasolar planets. This book covers various aspects of optical interferometry including descriptions of novel apparatuses and methods, application interferometry for studying biological objects, surface qualities, materials characterization, and optical testing. The book includes a series of chapters in which experts share recent progress in interferometry through original research and literature reviews.

Nanotechnology, sensor and measurement industries depend on these advances in optical interferometry for accuracy and profitability.

Phase Estimation in Optical Interferometry covers the essentials of phase-stepping algorithms used in interferometry and pseudointerferometric techniques. It presents the basic concepts and mathematics needed for understanding the phase estimation methods in use today. The first four chapters focus on phase retrieval from image transforms using a s

This book presents the fundamental physics of optical interferometry as applied to biophysical, biological and medical research. Interference is at the core of many types of optical detection and is a powerful probe of cellular and tissue structure in interfererence microscopy and in optical coherence tomography. It is also the root cause of speckle and other imaging artefacts that limit range and resolution. For biosensor applications, the inherent sensitivity of interferometry enables ultrasensitive detection of molecules in biological samples for medical diagnostics. In this book, emphasis is placed on the physics of light scattering, beginning with the molecular origins of refraction as light propagates through matter, and then treating the stochastic nature of random fields that ultimately dominate optical imaging in cells and tissue. The physics of partial coherence plays a central role in the text, with a focus on coherence detection techniques that allow information to be selectively detected out of incoherent and heterogeneous backgrounds. Optical Interferometry for Biology and Medicine is divided into four sections. The first covers fundamental principles, and the next three move up successive scales, beginning with molecular interferometry (biosensors), moving to cellular interferometry (microscopy), and ending with tissue interferometry (biomedical). An outstanding feature of the book is the clear presentation of the physics, with easy derivations of the appropriate equations, while emphasizing "rules of thumb" that can be applied by experimental researchers to give semi-quantitative predictions.

During the last two decades, optical stellar interferometry has become an important tool in astronomical investigations requiring spatial resolution well beyond that of traditional telescopes. This book, first published in 2006, was the first to be written on the subject. The authors provide an extended introduction discussing basic physical and atmospheric optics, which establishes the framework necessary to present the ideas and practice of interferometry as applied to the astronomical scene. They follow with an overview of historical, operational and planned interferometric observatories, and a selection of important astrophysical discoveries made with them. Finally, they present some as-yet untested ideas for instruments both on the ground and in space which may allow us to image details of planetary systems beyond our own.