Striped double-cavity Fabry-Perot interferometers using both glass and air

Abstract

We have used piezo-driven Fabry-Perot interferometers in the past for many continuous velocity-time measurements of fast moving surfaces. In order to avoid the annoying drift of some of these devices, we have developed and used inexpensive, solid glass, striped etalons with lengths up to 64 mm. Useable apertures are 35 mm by 80 mm with a finess of 25. A roundabout technique was devised for double cavity operation. We built a passive thermal housing for temperature stability, with tilt and height adjustments. We have also developed and used our first fixed etalon air-spaced cavity with a rotatable glass double-cavity insert. The rotation allows the referee cavity fractional order to be adjusted separately from that of the main cavity. It needs very little thermal protection, and eliminates the need for a roundabout scheme for double cavity operation, but is more costly than the solid glass version. For a cavity with an air length H, glass length T, index n and wavelength (lambda) , the fringe angles are (root)j(lambda) /(H+T/n) where j is the fractional order plus an integer. This means double cavity fringe patterns plotted vs. velocity will cross if both air and glass are part of the system. This crossing, which is an advantage, will not occur for pure glass or pure air systems. The velocity per fringe is given by c(lambda) /4[H+T(n- (lambda) dn/d(lambda) )] where dn/d(lambda) is the derivative of index with respect to wavelengths. This expression therefore includes the effects of dispersion in the glass. Because the angle depends upon T/n and the velocity upon Tn, there is no equivalent air cavity for a given glass cavity. Very high quality glass is preferable to air, since for a given velocity per fringe, the fringe separation is larger for glass cavities, resulting in less finess degradation due to streak camera spatial resolution.