Abstract

A theoretical investigation of the performance of the Fizeau type interferometer as a function of the collimating lens spherical aberration and the thickness of the air space between the interferometer plates is presented. The theory developed is applied to the determination of the maximum relative aperture permissible in a simple collimating lens system for use in an interferometer of specified plate separation. It is found that an f/3 lens system consisting of two plano convex lenses can be used in an interferometer of 10-in. aperture with the plates separated as much as 0.050 in. In such a system, the instrumental error introduced into the fringe pattern is no greater than λ/100 for mercury green light.

© 1957 Optical Society of America

Common-Path Interferometer for Testing Purposes

J. Dyson
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47(5) 386-390 (1957)

Photoelectric Fringe Signal Information and Range in Interferometers with Moving Mirrors*

George W. Stroke
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47(12) 1097-1103 (1957)

High-Speed Wide-Range Fluorite Spectrograph*

Chester J. Silvernail
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47(1) 23-26 (1957)

Study of Optical Diffraction Images at Microwave Frequencies*

M. P. Bachynski and G. Bekefi
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 47(5) 428-438 (1957)

The Double-Passed Fizeau Interferometer

P. Hariharan and D. Sen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 50(10) 999-1001 (1960)