Multiple-beam Interferometers: Analogy with Aberrated Optical Systems and Adjustment Tolerances Estimation

Abstract

Abstract In this paper we study multiple interference produced by an interferometer when illuminated by an extended quasimonochromatic source. We define a relative modulation factor, which arises from grouping the interference terms for the same frequency. This relative modulation factor measures the departure from ideal behaviour of the interferometer. We also show that for some cases it is possible to associate a single aberrated optical system to each frequency, just as can be done for the single interference case, as was shown in a previous work; this allows an extension of the formalism presented therein. As an example, we calculate, for the case of a double-grating interferometer, the tolerance for the spatial extension of the source, where the modulation factor is close to unity.