Use of heterodyne detection to measure optical transmittance over a wide range

Abstract

We are developing a heterodyne detection technique to measure optical transmittance with high accuracy over an unprecedented dynamic range. We have measured filters spanning a wide range of transmittances (12 orders of magnitude) and have evaluated the absolute uncertainties and discuss the ultimate accuracies that may be achieved. Our setup uses a two-beam Mach-Zehnder interferometer with acoustooptic frequency shifting to produce a frequency difference between the two light beams. We determine the optical transmittance of a filter by inserting it into one of the interferometer arms and measuring the change in amplitude of the signal at the difference frequency on the interferometer output beam. This method allows direct comparisons between optical and rf attenuators, ultimately tying optical transmittance measurements to rf attenuation standards in an absolute way.

© 1990 Optical Society of America

Wide dynamic range optical power measurement using coherent heterodyne radiometry

James J. Snyder
Appl. Opt. 27(21) 4465-4469 (1988)

Real time interferometric ellipsometry with optical heterodyne and phase lock-in techniques

Chin-hwa Lin, Chien Chou, and Keh-su Chang
Appl. Opt. 29(34) 5159-5162 (1990)

Accurate infrared transmittance measurements on optical filters using an FT-IR spectrometer

David A. C. Compton, John Drab, and Howard S. Barr
Appl. Opt. 29(19) 2908-2912 (1990)

Long-range vibration detection system using heterodyne interferometry

John R. Rzasa, Kyuman Cho, and Christopher C. Davis
Appl. Opt. 54(20) 6230-6236 (2015)

Laser heterodyne spectrometer using a liquid nitrogen cooled tunable diode laser for remote measurements of atmospheric O₃ and N₂O

H. Fukunishi, S. Okano, M. Taguchi, and T. Ohnuma
Appl. Opt. 29(18) 2722-2728 (1990)