Rotationally tunable two-beam interferometer with a fixed photosensitive element. Part I. Interferometer based on a beam-splitter cube

Abstract

A two-beam interferometer based on a beam-splitter cube with a fixed photosensitive element is proposed. The interferometer is designed for generating interference patterns with a tunable period. The only type of motion resulting in a change in the period is interferometer rotation with respect to the source of the light beam. The greatest width of the range of convergence angle tuning is close to 50°, and possible values of this angle lie in the interval from 10 to 180°. The interferometer arms have identical lengths owing to its symmetry. The absence of adjustment elements ensures high stability of the instrument with respect to vibrations.