| Popis: |
In building long baseline interferometers with many fold mirrors, the wavefront quality, reflectivity loss, and relative dispersion are not the only issues a designer must contend with. The polarization effects from fold mirrors on light can significantly reduce fringe visibility. However, recognizing a mirror’s polarization effects early can influence interferometer design and minimize fold mirrors polarization effects on fringe visibility. In this article, the polarization effects of various mirrors are provided in a simplified manner providing the optical designer with insight into the ill effects mirrors have on a polarization state. Several possible techniques are described to remedy the polarimetric fringe visibility loss. This understanding can provide designers with the necessary tools to minimize polarization visibility loss for a long baseline interferometer. |
