The term "laser interferometry" is spelled with the phonemes /leɪ.zər ɪn.tər.fər.ɒm.ɪ.tri/. The initial sound, /leɪ/, consists of the long "a" sound followed by the "z" sound. The second syllable, /zər/, includes the "z" sound, followed by the schwa sound. The third syllable, /ɪn.tər/, combines the sounds "in" and "ter." The fourth syllable, /fər/, has the "f" sound followed by the schwa sound. The final two syllables, /ɒm.ɪ.tri/, contain the sounds "om" and "i."
Laser interferometry is a scientific technique that employs the principles of interference to measure and analyze various physical phenomena with high precision. It involves the use of lasers, which are coherent light sources that emit light waves that are in phase and have a fixed phase relationship.
In laser interferometry, a laser beam is split into two or more separate beams by a beam splitter. These beams then travel different paths and are later recombined. When the recombined beams overlap, interference occurs, resulting in a complex pattern known as an interference pattern. This pattern is highly sensitive to changes in the path length or phase difference between the beams.
By measuring and analyzing the interference pattern, laser interferometry enables the precise determination of various physical quantities, such as displacement, distance, velocity, and vibration. It is commonly used in fields like optics, metrology, astronomy, and engineering. Laser interferometers can accurately measure nanometer-scale displacements and are often employed in research laboratories and high-precision industrial applications.
Laser interferometry offers several advantages over other measurement techniques, including non-contact measurements, high accuracy, and the ability to operate in a wide range of environments. It has revolutionized numerous fields by enabling scientists and engineers to understand and manipulate physical phenomena with unprecedented precision and accuracy.
The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". It was coined in the 1950s when researchers were developing a new type of device that produced a narrow and intense beam of light. The word "interferometry" comes from the Latin prefix "inter-" meaning "between" and the Latin word "ferre" meaning "to carry" or "to bear". It refers to a technique used to measure the interaction of two or more waves of light or other types of electromagnetic radiation. When these two terms are combined, "laser interferometry" refers to the use of laser light to perform interferometric measurements.