Patent ID: 6327037
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
An optical rotation angle polarimeter for investigating optical activity of a test object, comprising:a two-frequency laser source for generating a laser beam with two eigen modes of two different temporal frequencies and two orthogonal linear polarized waves, the laser beam to be passed through the test object;a polarized beam splitter adapted to receive and split the laser beam, which exits the test object, into first and second orthogonal optical heterodyne interference X-axis and Y-axis components;first and second photo detectors, each of which receives a respective one of the first and second orthogonal optical heterodyne interference X-axis and Y-axis components from said polarized beam splitter and generates a corresponding optical heterodyne interference signal;a signal processor, connected to said first and second photo detectors, for combining the optical heterodyne interference signals therefrom so as to obtain an optical heterodyne interference output; andan amplitude detector for detecting amplitude of the optical heterodyne interference output, which serves as a measure of the optical activity of the test object.