Patent ID: 11933899
Assignee: LITEWAVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method of mapping a surface topography, comprising:
generating a pulse of polarized light;
scattering at least some portion of the pulse of polarized light onto a first surface and a second surface;
receiving the scattered light from the first surface and the second surface as a received pulse, wherein the received pulse has one or more portions that overlap in an ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion;
separating the ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion into a first component associated with the first surface and a second component associated with the second surface, the first component and the second component having a relative difference in polarization between each other, wherein the separation removes the ambiguous intrapulse overlap portion;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first component and the second component; and
calculating a relative distance between the first surface and the second surface based on the amount of time elapsed, thereby achieving a sub-pulse width resolution.