Abstract

We calculate the complex degree of coherence for any interferometer in which there is amplitude division and simple interference. We consider the exact optical path length differences between both branches. We find that, when there is a localization surface, this degree of coherence is equivalent to the complex optical disturbance at the image of an aberrated isoplanatic optical system. Moreover, we show that the radius of the central lobe at the diffraction pattern of this equivalent system is the distance between rays when visibility is zero. This distance enables us to evaluate localization depth and adjustment tolerance.

© 1987 Optical Society of America

Zero fringe visibility in the classical localization plane of a two-beam interferometer

Juan M. Simon and Silvia A. Comastri
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 21(8) 1488-1495 (2004)

Fringe localization depth: a comment

P. Hariharan and W. H. Steel
Appl. Opt. 28(1) 29-29 (1989)

Multilocalization and the van Cittert–Zernike theorem. 1. Theory

Silvia A. Comastri, Juan M. Simon, and Catherine Tardin
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 17(7) 1265-1276 (2000)

Interferometers: equivalent sine condition

Juan M. Simon and Silvia A. Comastri
Appl. Opt. 27(22) 4725-4730 (1988)

Electronic channel fringe holography for depth and delay measurements

Ignacio Iglesias, Hsuan S. Chen, Kurt D. Mills, David S. Dilworth, and Emmett N. Leith
Appl. Opt. 38(11) 2196-2203 (1999)