MSTAR: a submicrometer absolute metrology system

Multi-heterodyne interferometric absolute distance measurements based on dual dynamic electro-optic frequency combs

In multi-heterodyne interferometry, the non-ambiguous range (NAR) and measurement accuracy are limited by the generation of synthetic wavelengths. In this paper, we propose a multi-heterodyne interferometric absolute distance measurement based on dual dynamic electro-optic frequency combs (EOCs) to realize high-accuracy distance measurement with large scale. The modulation frequencies of the EOCs are synchronously and quickly controlled to perform dynamic frequency hopping with the same frequency variation. Therefore, variable synthetic wavelengths range from tens of kilometer to millimeter can be flexibly constructed, and traced to an atomic frequency standard. Besides, a phase-parallel demodulation method of multi-heterodyne interference signal is implemented based on FPGA. Experimental setup was constructed and absolute distance measurements were performed. Comparison experiments with He-Ne interferometers demonstrate an agreement within 8.6 µm for a range up to 45 m, with a standard deviation of 0.8 µm and a resolution better than 2 µm at 45 m. The proposed method can provide sufficient precision with large scale for many science and industrial applications, such as precision equipment manufacturing, space mission, length metrology.

Improving the accuracy of distance measurements based on beat frequency detection of a dual-frequency optoelectronic oscillator

A high-accuracy distance measurements (DMs) approach based on beat frequency detection of a dual-frequency optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The dual-frequency OEO is formed with a single electro-optical modulator and a common length of energy storage fiber, and the beat frequency of the two oscillation signals can be directly achieved after a photodetector. Since the environmental disturbance has the same influence on the lengths of the two loops corresponding to the two oscillation frequencies, the environmental disturbance errors can be greatly reduced by beat frequency detection. In the experiment, we achieved a sensitivity of 49.9375 kHz/mm and a measurement error of ±15µm. The frequency stability of the beat-frequency signal was 8.57 times higher than the oscillation signal of the measurement loop.

Analysis of a highly efficient phase-locking stabilization method for electro-optic comb generation

We theoretically show that a slightly modified Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) stabilization scheme can lead to the optimum time-domain characteristics for electro-optic comb generators (EOCG). The ideal locking point is located by analyzing the EOCG output pulse width. By summing up the electrical field reflected by the EOCG front mirror, a model of the phase-locking error signal is derived with the Jacobi-Anger identical transformation. The simulation and experiment show that the zero-locking point of the error signal of the modified scheme coincides well with the ideal locking point in contrast with the direct application of the PDH scheme. Finally, a power efficiency of up to 2.9% is achieved with this EOCG stabilization scheme. A relative instability of better than 2.6×10^-8 is demonstrated by a dual comb interferometer with fixed paths. The Allan deviations of the comb mode frequencies are smaller than 2.8×10^-9 and 1.1×10^-10 for average times of 1 and 100 s, respectively.

Submicrometric absolute positioning of flat reflective surfaces using Michelson interferometry

We present a Target Positioning Interferometer (TPI), a system that uses variations of the wavefront curvature to position solid reflective surfaces with submicrometric precision. The TPI is a Michelson interferometer into which a lens is inserted in the target arm and the mirror of the reference arm is slightly tilted. The TPI configuration presented in this work allows us to position the surface of a reflective target on a beam focus within an uncertainty of 350 nm (2σ) in a subsecond timeframe, using a lens with a numerical aperture of NA = 0.20. We support our experimental findings with numerical simulations of the interference pattern using the ABCD matrices' method, allowing us to define scaling laws for using the TPI with different optics and environments, as well as suggestions to improve the TPI accuracy and adapt the system to different applications. This system is very well suited for accurate and repeatable target positioning used in laser-driven ion acceleration, where a precise alignment is key to optimize the proton acceleration mechanism.

Absolute distance measurement by multi-heterodyne interferometry using an electro-optic triple comb

We experimentally demonstrate a method for absolute distance measurement using a triple-comb-based multi-heterodyne interferometer which has the capacity to simultaneously balance the non-ambiguous range, resolution, update rate, and cost. Three flat-top electro-optic combs generated via cascaded intensity and phase modulators are adopted to form a measurement scheme including rough and fine measurements, and the unknown distance is determined by detecting the phase changes of the consecutive synthetic wavelengths. Experimental results demonstrate an agreement within 750 nm over 80 m distance at an update rate of 167 μs.

Electro-optic dual-comb interferometer for high-speed vibrometry

Electro-optic frequency comb generators are particularly promising for dual-comb spectroscopy. They provide a high degree of mutual coherence between the combs without resorting to complex feedback stabilization mechanisms. In addition, electro-optic frequency combs can operate at very high repetition rates, thus providing very fast acquisition speeds. Here, we exploit these two features to resolve the rapid movement of a vibrating target. Our electro-optic dual-comb interferometer is capable of combining time-of-fight information with a more precise interferometric measurement based on the carrier phase. This fact, previously demonstrated by stabilized femtosecond frequency combs, allows us to increase the precision of the time-of-flight measurement by several orders of magnitude. As a proof of concept, we implement a fiber-based vibrometer that offers sub-nanometer precision at an effective acquisition speed of 250 kHz. These results expand the application landscape of electro-optic dual-comb spectroscopy to laser ranging and other remote sensing measurements.

Detecting Topological Defect Dark Matter Using Coherent Laser Ranging System

In the last few decades, optical frequency combs with high intensity, broad optical bandwidth, and directly traceable discrete wavelengths have triggered rapid developments in distance metrology. However, optical frequency combs to date have been limited to determine the absolute distance to an object (such as satellite missions). We propose a scheme for the detection of topological defect dark matter using a coherent laser ranging system composed of dual-combs and an optical clock via nongravitational signatures. The dark matter field, which comprises a defect, may interact with standard model particles, including quarks and photons, resulting in the alteration of their masses. Thus, a topological defect may function as a dielectric material with a distinctive frequency-depend index of refraction, which would cause the time delay of a periodic extraterrestrial or terrestrial light. When a topological defect passes through the Earth, the optical path of long-distance vacuum path is altered, this change in optical path can be detected through the coherent laser ranging system. Compared to continuous wavelength(cw) laser interferometry methods, dual-comb interferometry in our scheme excludes systematic misjudgement by measuring the absolute optical path length.

Precision distance measurement using a two-photon absorption process in a silicon avalanche photodiode with saw-tooth phase modulation

We present a novel configuration of a precision laser distance measurement based on the two-photon absorption (TPA) photocurrent from a silicon avalanche photodiode (Si-APD). The proposed system uses saw-tooth phase modulation, known as serrodyne modulation, in order to shift the frequency of the reference light from that of the probe light. It suppresses the coherent interference noise between the probe and the reference. The serrodyne modulation also enables lock-in detection of the TPA photocurrent. Furthermore, it contributes to the reduction of the system components. The precision measurement is experimentally demonstrated by measuring a fiber length difference of 2.6 m with a standard deviation of 27 μm under constant temperature. The high-precision displacement measurement is also demonstrated by measuring the temperature-induced change in the optical path length difference of a fiber interferometer.

Heterodyne multi-wavelength absolute interferometry based on a cavity-enhanced electro-optic frequency comb pair

We present a heterodyne absolute distance interferometer with a macroscopic range, based on a promising optical source. The basis of the heterodyne measurement principle, a frequency comb pair with slightly different repetition rates and offset frequencies, is realized coherently by synchronized cavity-enhanced electro-optic frequency comb generators. The unknown distance is determined absolutely from the interferometric phases of distinct comb modes, by a parallel digital lock-in scheme. Comparison experiments with a reference HeNe incremental interferometer show an agreement well within 15 μm, for a range up to 10 m.

Long-range, high-precision absolute distance measurement based on two optoelectronic oscillators

We demonstrate a scheme for long-range, high-precision absolute distance measurement based on frequency detection using two optoelectronic oscillators to convert distance information to frequency information. The two-oscillator design offers the unique advantage of self-referencing. By taking advantage of the accumulative magnification theory, the error of the measured distance is decreased by approximately 10⁵ fold, which significantly improves the precision of the measured distance. In our experiments, the maximum error is ±1.5  μm at an emulated distance of approximately 3.35 km, including a drift error of approximately 1 μm in the air path due to the variation of environmental conditions. The highest relative measurement precision achieved in our current system is 4.5×10⁻¹⁰.

On-chip high sensitivity laser frequency sensing with Brillouin mutually-modulated cross-gain modulation

We report the first demonstration of a photonic-chip laser frequency sensor using Brillouin mutually-modulated cross-gain modulation (MMXGM). A large sensitivity (~9.5 mrad/kHz) of the modulation phase shift to probe carrier frequency is demonstrated at a modulation frequency of 50 kHz using Brillouin MMXGM in a ~7 cm long chalcogenide rib waveguide.

Two-mode interference measurement for nanometer accuracy absolute ranging

We demonstrate a laser ranging scheme that uses a high-frequency modulated beam to achieve subnanometer precision by the combined use of interferometric and time-of-flight measurements. We first describe how the absolute distance is extracted from a two-mode interference signal. In particular, we show that the signal, which presents both optical and synthetic wavelength scales, allows one to achieve nanometer-scale accuracy, despite the significant long-term phase drifts in the 20 GHz detection chains. We present results obtained with the telemeter implemented for a distance of about four meters, obtained by folding the laser beam path to the target.

Method of excess fractions with application to absolute distance metrology: theoretical analysis

The method of excess fractions (EF) is well established to resolve the fringe order ambiguity generated in interferometric detection. Despite this background, multiwavelength interferometric absolute long distance measurements have only been reported with varying degrees of success. In this paper we present a theoretical model that can predict the unambiguous measurement range in EF based on the selected measurement wavelengths and phase noise. It is shown that beat wavelength solutions are a subset of this theoretical model. The performance of EF, for a given phase noise, is shown to be equivalent to beat techniques but offers many alternative sets of measurement wavelengths and therefore EF offer significantly greater flexibility in experimental design.

Superheterodyne configuration for two-wavelength interferometry applied to absolute distance measurement

We present a new superheterodyne technique for long-distance measurements by two-wavelength interferometry (TWI). While conventional systems use two acousto-optic modulators to generate two different heterodyne frequencies, here the two frequencies result from synchronized sweeps of optical and radio frequencies. A distributed feedback laser source is injected in an intensity modulator that is driven at the half-wave voltage mode. A radio-frequency signal is applied to this intensity modulator to generate two optical sidebands around the optical carrier. This applied radio frequency consists of a digital ramp between 13 and 15 GHz, with 1 ms duration and with an accuracy of better than 1 ppm. Simultaneously, the laser source is frequency modulated by a current modulation that is synchronized on the radio-frequency ramp as well as on a triangle waveform. These two frequency-swept optical signals at the output of the modulator illuminate a Michelson interferometer and create two distinct distance-dependent heterodyne frequencies on the photodetector. The superheterodyne signal is then detected and bandpass filtered to retrieve the absolute distance measurement. Experiments between 1 and 15 m confirm the validity of this new concept, leading to a distance accuracy of +/- 50 microm for a 1 ms acquisition time.

Ultrabroadband optical chirp linearization for precision metrology applications

We demonstrate precise linearization of ultrabroadband laser frequency chirps via a fiber-based self-heterodyne technique to enable extremely high-resolution, frequency-modulated cw laser-radar (LADAR) and a wide range of other metrology applications. Our frequency chirps cover bandwidths up to nearly 5 THz with frequency errors as low as 170 kHz, relative to linearity. We show that this performance enables 31-mum transform-limited LADAR range resolution (FWHM) and 86 nm range precisions over a 1.5 m range baseline. Much longer range baselines are possible but are limited by atmospheric turbulence and fiber dispersion.

A distance meter using a terahertz intermode beat in an optical frequency comb

We propose a distance meter that utilizes an intermode beat of terahertz frequency in an optical frequency comb to perform high resolution and high dynamic range absolute distance measurements. The proposed system is based on a novel method, called multiheterodyne cross-correlation detection, in which intermode beat frequencies are scaled down to radio frequencies by optical mixing of two detuned optical frequency combs with a nonlinear optical crystal. Using this method, we obtained a 1.056 THz intermode beat and achieved a distance resolution of 0.820 microm from its phase measurement. Absolute distance measurement using 1.056 THz and 8.187 GHz intermode beats was also demonstrated in the range of 10 mm, resulting in a precision of 0.688 microm.

Radio frequency controlled synthetic wavelength sweep for absolute distance measurement by optical interferometry

We present a new technique applied to the variable optical synthetic wavelength generation in optical interferometry. It consists of a chain of optical injection locking among three lasers: first a distributed-feedback laser is used as a master to injection lock an intensity-modulated laser that is directly modulated around 15 GHz by a radio frequency generator on a sideband. A second distributed-feedback laser is injection locked on another sideband of the intensity-modulated laser. The variable synthetic wavelength for absolute distance measurement is simply generated by sweeping the radio frequency over a range of several hundred megahertz, which corresponds to the locking range of the two slave lasers. In this condition, the uncertainty of the variable synthetic wavelength is equivalent to the radio frequency uncertainty. This latter has a relative accuracy of 10(-7) or better, resulting in a resolution of +/-25 microm for distances exceeding tens of meters. The radio frequency generator produces a linear frequency sweep of 1 ms duration (i.e., exactly equal to one absolute distance measurement acquisition time), with frequency steps of about 1 MHz. Finally, results of absolute distance measurements for ranges up to 10 m are presented.

Enhancing the spectral sensitivity of interferometers using slow-light media

We demonstrate experimentally that the spectral sensitivity of an interferometer can be greatly enhanced by introducing a slow-light medium into it. The experimental results agree very well with theoretical predictions that the enhancement factor of the spectral sensitivity is equal to the group index n(g) of the slow-light medium.

Correcting movement errors in frequency-sweeping interferometry

Absolute distance measurements can be performed with an interferometric method that uses only a single tunable laser. This method has one major drawback, because a small target movement of the order of one wavelength during a measurement will be interpreted as a movement of one synthetic wavelength. This effect is usually mitigated by adding a second (nonscanning) laser. We show that absolute distance measurements can be performed with only one laser if the movements encountered are smooth, on the time scale of one measurement. In this case the movement errors can be compensated with a simple algorithm that combines several subsequent measurements. First experimental results show good agreement with theory.