A Fizeau interferometer is similar to a Fabry–Pérot interferometer in that they both consist of two reflecting surfaces. In a Fizeau interferometer, however, the two surfaces are usually much less than totally reflecting (4–30%), so that secondary reflections don't contribute greatly to the fringe contrast. An angled beam splitter captures the reference and measurement beams.

Fizeau interferometers are commonly used for measuring the shape of an optical surface: Typically, a fabricated lens or mirror is compared to a reference piece with the same shape. The reference piece is often realized by a diffractive optical element, as this can be manufactured by lithographic methods, which inherently warrant for high precision. Fizeau interferometers are also used in fiber optic sensors for measuring pressure, temperature, strain, etc.

[edit] See also

• Hippolyte Fizeau
• List of types of interferometers
• Fizeau–Foucault apparatus

[edit] External links

• Some typical measurement setups from the booklet of interferometer manufacturer Zygo Corp.

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