Patent ID: 7307733

Claim:
An optical image measuring apparatus, comprising: light beam outputting means for outputting a light beam whose intensity is periodically modulated; a first converting means for converting a polarization characteristic of the light beam to linear polarization; dividing means for dividing the light beam into signal light propagating through an object to be measured and reference light propagating through a reference object; a second converting means for converting a polarization characteristic of one of the signal light and the reference light, which is linearly polarized light; frequency shifting means for shifting a frequency of the signal light and a frequency of the reference light relative to each other by an amount substantially equal to a frequency for intensity modulation of the light beam; superimposing means for superimposing the signal light propagating through the object to be measured and the reference light propagating through the reference object on each other to produce first interference light, the signal light and the reference light respectively having a polarization characteristic converted by the first converting means and the second converting means in each of which the frequency is shifted by the frequency shifting means; extracting means for extracting a plurality of polarized light components from the produced first interference light; a first detecting means for detecting the polarized light components extracted from the first interference light; and calculating means for calculating one of a signal intensity and a phase of the first interference light based on the detected polarized light components, wherein an image of the object to be measured is formed based on the calculated one of the signal intensity and the phase of the first interference light.