Interferometer Electrostatic Actuator Wavelength Resolution

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing interferometers face challenges in maintaining translational accuracy of the movable mirror while increasing its travel, which is crucial for enhancing wavelength resolution, and they often require larger drivers to achieve this, leading to increased size, weight, and cost.

Innovation Solution

The interferometer design incorporates a retroreflector with retro-reflectivity, such as a corner cube prism or mirror, to tolerate light shifts during mirror movement, allowing for accurate phase information addition and maintaining interference signal quality, while using a compact driver to ensure sufficient mirror travel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the driver size is increased to ensure sufficient mirror travel for higher wavelength resolution, then the wavelength resolution is improved, but the device size, weight, and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewavelength resolutionVSAvoiddevice weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical driver system with an electrostatic actuator that utilizes electrostatic force to drive the movable mirror. This substitution of mechanical drive with electrostatic drive enables sufficient mirror travel distance without requiring a large mechanical structure, thereby achieving high wavelength resolution while keeping the device compact and lightweight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If the driver size is increased to ensure sufficient mirror travel for higher wavelength resolution, then the wavelength resolution is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewavelength resolutionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical driver system with an electrostatic actuator that utilizes electrostatic force to drive the movable mirror. This substitution of mechanical drive with electrostatic drive enables sufficient mirror travel distance without requiring a large mechanical structure, thereby achieving high wavelength resolution while keeping the device compact and lightweight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If the translational accuracy of the movable mirror is increased to reduce light shift, then the spectral information accuracy is improved, but the driver design becomes more complex and larger

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespectral information accuracyVSAvoiddriver complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical driver system with an electrostatic actuator that utilizes electrostatic force to drive the movable mirror. This substitution of mechanical drive with electrostatic drive enables sufficient mirror travel distance without requiring a large mechanical structure, thereby achieving high wavelength resolution while keeping the device compact and lightweight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration enhances the wavelength resolution of spectral patterns, suppresses signal noise ratio degradation due to mirror shifts, and reduces the interferometer's size, weight, and cost by allowing a compact driver to maintain accurate spectral analysis.

Implementation Method 1

an analysis optical system including a retroreflector configured to reflect analysis light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRetroreflection: Retroreflector

Implementation Method 2

the beam splitter unit, the movable mirror, and the fixed mirror constitute an interference optical system that measurement light and laser light enter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight splitting: Reflection

Implementation Method 3

the beam splitter unit, the movable mirror, and the fixed mirror constitute an interference optical system

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInterference: Interference

Implementation Method 4

the movable mirror is driven by an electrostatic actuator

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrostatic actuation: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentUS20250102362A1Interferometer

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

An interferometer including an analysis optical system including a retroreflector configured to reflect analysis light and a first light receiver configured to receive the analysis light and output a first light reception signal, the analysis optical system irradiating a sample with the analysis light and causing the analysis light to interfere; a length measuring optical system including a laser light source configured to output laser light, an optical modulator configured to modulate a frequency of the laser light by using a vibrator and add a modulation component to the laser light, and a second light receiver configured to receive the laser light containing the modulation component and a length measurement component generated when the retroreflector is irradiated with the laser light and output a second light reception signal, the length measuring optical system causing the laser light to interfere; and a driver configured to change a position of the retroreflector.