Document Type
Article
Publisher
Optica Publishing Group
Publication Date
2022
Journal Article Version
Accepted Manuscript
First Page
1
Last Page
16
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Abstract
The high degree of precision offered by optical interferometry makes it an ideal tool in many applications, including vibration detection, wind tunnel aerodynamics, surface topology measurements, and environmental sensing. In the latter case, real-time measurement of real-world environments is crucial to ensuring the health and safety of individuals operating within domestic and industrial domains. Currently, these measurements are made possible with portable fiber-based interferometer systems – systems that are also limited by high cost, fragility, coupling loss, and low power. This work presents a lightweight free-space interferometer that is versatile, modular, and compact. The interferometer is monolithic, geometrically simple, easy to manufacture, scalable, and capable of simultaneously comparing multiple real-world environments on a single sensor. Furthermore, the geometry can be tessellated to form a linear or circular array, improving the already compact nature of the design. In a tiled configuration, the interferometer is able to handle any number of sources spanning the visible (VIS) to the infrared (IR). Since these regimes cover many of the molecular resonance wavelengths of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), greenhouse gases, and other hazardous chemicals, the proposed interferometer has the potential to make a significant contribution to optical measurements and environmental sensing.
Recommended Citation
Pung, Aaron J., "A Monolithic Solid-State Interferometer for Real-Time Multi-Environment Measurements" (2022). Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications. Paper 275.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/sdl_pubs/275
