Wavefront errors in a two-beam interferometer

TL;DR

This paper investigates how wavefront errors from optical aberrations affect fringe period measurements in a two-beam interferometer, showing that while estimates remain unbiased, errors increase measurement uncertainty.

Contribution

It provides a Monte Carlo simulation analysis demonstrating the impact of wavefront errors on fringe period uncertainty in interferometry.

Findings

Fringe-period estimates are unbiased when based on the angular spectrum.

Wavefront errors increase the uncertainty in fringe period measurements.

Monte Carlo simulation effectively models interferometer wavefront error effects.

Abstract

The paper deals with the impact of wavefront errors, due to the optical aberrations of a two-beam interferometer, on the period of the travelling fringe observed by integrating the interference pattern. A Monte Carlo simulation of the interferometer operation showed that the fringe-period estimate is unbiased if evaluated on the basis of the angular spectrum of the beam entering the interferometer, but the wavefront errors increase the uncertainty.