Interference-based Rotation Sensing: Utilizing Split Beams and Phase Changes

AI Thread Summary
When two coherent beams of light interfere, they produce a phase-related fringing pattern on a sensor, but they do not merge into a single beam. The movement of the device containing these beams creates a Doppler effect, shifting the fringe pattern and allowing for the calculation of rotation direction and magnitude. If the beams originate from a single source and are reflected along separate paths, they can maintain coherence, leading to a stable interference pattern. In a rotating system, one beam changes phase relative to the other, generating digital pulses that correspond to the angle and rate of rotation. Thus, the interference-based rotation sensing effectively translates optical changes into measurable rotational data.
MRzNone
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
What is the production when two beams interference? 2 beams meet, and is there only one left after interference? Like vector.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
MRzNone said:
What is the production when two beams interference? 2 beams meet, and is there only one left after interference? Like vector.
The two beams "meet" and produce a phase related fringing pattern on a sensor. The beams are continuous. Movement of the device containing the beams causes a Doppler effect along the plane of the beams causing a shifting of the fringe pattern that can be counted and calculated to provide information about the amount and direction of rotation.
 
  • Like
Likes MRzNone
If the beams cross each others path in free space, they emerge afterwards unchanged. If a sensor, such as an E-field sensor, is placed in the volume where they overlap, it will read the vector sum at any instant.
 
MRzNone said:
What is the production when two beams interference? 2 beams meet, and is there only one left after interference? Like vector.
This question is a bit too vague for a good answer. Are your two beams originating from the same source (a splitter) or from independent sources? The two beams need to be coherent for a stationary interference pattern to form.
It is not possible for the two beams to become just one, from interference.
 
  • Like
Likes Jon B
MRzNone said:
What is the production when two beams interference? 2 beams meet, and is there only one left after interference? Like vector.
A split beam from a single source reflected around separate paths are the two counter-rotating beams that are channeled to a photo detector. If the device that contains them is not rotating, the beams remain in phase. If rotation is occurring, one beam continuously changes phase with respect to the other and the moving interference pattern in the photo detector can be converted into digital pulses, each pulse representing an angle of rotation. The rate at which the pulses are produced is also a measure of the rate of rotation. Due to the nature of the mirrors the beams continue along their paths.
 

Similar threads

I Mechanism of Energy Conservation in Zero-Amplitude Sum of EM Waveforms
Replies
12
Views
636
Effects of coherence length on optical interference filter
2
Replies
66
Views
5K
I Questions about a Laser Interferometer pattern
Replies
2
Views
953
I Generation of polarization-squeezed beams
Replies
2
Views
1K
I Is it possible for a BBO crystal to produce an interference pattern?
Replies
1
Views
2K
I Interference of signal photons entangled with idlers
Replies
2
Views
2K
I A question about density matricies
Replies
7
Views
374
I Understanding the transmission of an etalon
Replies
7
Views
2K
A Interference pattern for a laser beam through an AOM
Replies
4
Views
4K
I Have You Heard of the SEW Experiment? Thoughts?
Replies
3
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top