Absolute length interferometry

• Calibration of gauge blocks

Gauge Length Interferometry

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Primary Length Bar

Twyman Green Interferometer
Interferometer

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Software display of
Gauge Block Interferometer
interferometer

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 NPL length interferometer Absolute length measurement
Constant Crosswire
deviation
Collimating lens
• Interference between
prism Condensing lens
Rotation
• Rays reflected from the gauge block
Lamp
• Rays reflected from platen
• Path difference causes displacement of
Optical flat fringes
Platen • When path difference is an exact
rotation
multiple of wavelength, fringes match

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Michelson Interferometer Current version

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Using different wavelengths... If we could count...

• Number of fringes cannot be counted
Length = 7.5 mm
• Absolute length error
• can be estimated 2 mm 3*2+0.75*2 = 7.5

• if error is small

3 mm 2*3+0.5*3 = 7.5

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 But if we can't count... How to solve?
• Brute Force Approach
Approx length = 7
• Tabular approach
2 (?)+0.75*2

Observed fraction

3 (?)+0.5*3

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