In this paper, a technique based on the use of optical interferometry is employed to evaluate the surface geometry and refractive index profile of a graded-index planar microlens array. The experimental setup consists of sodium light and He-Ne laser sources which are incorporated into a microscopy system. The two light sources can be utilized alternately for surface geometry and refractive inde...

We propose a new tunable laser source concept for multiple-wavelength interferometry, offering an unprecedented large choice of synthetic wavelengths with a relative uncertainty better than 10(-11) in vacuum. Two lasers are frequency stabilized over a wide range of frequency intervals defined by the frequency comb generated by a mode-locked fiber laser. In addition, we present experimental resu...

Motivated by a recently invented scheme of displacement-noise-free gravitational-wave detection, we demonstrate the existence of gravitational-wave detection schemes insusceptible to both displacement and timing (laser) noises and are thus realizable by shot-noise-limited laser interferometry. This is possible due to two reasons: first, gravitational waves and displacement disturbances contribu...

We study the scattering of two-level atoms at narrow laser fields, modeled by a δ-shape intensity profile. The unique properties of these potentials allow us to give simple analytic solutions for one or two field zones. Several applications are studied: a single δ-laser may serve as a detector model for atom detection and arrival-time measurements, either by means of fluorescence or variations ...

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission is a planned gravitational wave detector consisting of three spacecraft in heliocentric orbit. Laser interferometry is used to measure distance fluctuations between test masses aboard each spacecraft to the picometer level over a 5 million kilometer separation. The Disturbance Reduction System comprises the pointing and positioning control of the s...

We study resonant two-color two-photon ionization of helium via the 1s3p (1)P(1) state. The first color is the 15th harmonic of a tunable Ti:sapphire laser, while the second color is the fundamental laser radiation. Our method uses phase-locked high-order harmonics to determine the phase of the two-photon process by interferometry. The measurement of the two-photon ionization phase variation as...

The effect of focal spot size on in-band 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from laser-produced Sn plasmas was investigated for an EUV lithography light source. Almost constant in-band conversion efficiency from laser to 13.5 nm EUV light was noted with focal spot sizes from 60 to 500 microm. This effect may be explained by the opacity of Sn plasmas. Optical interferometry showed that t...

Photothermal interferometry has been demonstrated for detection of vapors with extremely high sensitivity (parts-per-trillion). Our present research uses a photothermal detection scheme that incorporates tunable sources and a modified Jamin interferometric design to provide high selectivity and sensitivity for organo-phosphate vapor detection. Phase shifts on microradian levels have been detect...

We present a study detailing the effects of refraction on the analysis and interpretation of line-of-site optical probe characterization techniques within laser-produced plasmas. Results using x-ray laser backlit grid deflectometry and ray-tracing simulations illustrate the extent to which refraction can be a limiting factor in diagnosing high-density, short-scale-length plasmas. Analysis is ap...

We report the synthesis of a nearly single-cycle (3.7 fs), ultrafast optical pulse train at 78 MHz from the coherent combination of a passively mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser (6 fs pulses) and a fiber supercontinuum (1-1.4 μm, with 8 fs pulses). The coherent combination is achieved via orthogonal, attosecond-precision synchronization of both pulse envelope timing and carrier envelope phase using...