- Mach-Zehnder interferometers use optical path difference between optical paths L1 and L2 in the figure.
- With the same lengths of L1 and L2 and a transparent sample (solid, liquid, or gas) placed in one optical path, an interference fringe moves in proportion to the extent of the change in the refractive index.
- Consisting of mutually independent mirror and beam splitter units that enable broad layout flexibility, Mach-Zehnder interferometers can be used to measure larger samples.
|
Symbol |
Component |
Quantity |
|
L |
Laser |
1 |
|
SF |
Spatial filter |
1 |
|
CL |
Collimator lens |
1 |
|
BS |
Beam splitter |
2 |
|
M |
Mirror |
2 |
|
SC |
Screen |
1 |
|
|
