A differential phase heterodyne microscope using integrated optical modulator

Abstract

Recently interferometric heterodyne microscopes have been developed1–3 that can measure surface profile with high precision (up to 1 Å in depth). But this value of depth resolution is by two orders worse than the theoretical sensitivity of this type of heterodyne microscopes. The main reason this fact is that the conventional scheme of a microscope and its extent are affected by microphonics and mechanical instability in the system. In this paper we have proposed and demonstrated the possibility of replacement of some bulk optical elements (in particular, a Bragg cell) with integrated optical and fiber-optic elements that are exposed to external influence in a smaller degree.