Patent ID: 7312876

Claim:
An optical image measuring apparatus, comprising: light beam outputting means for outputting a light beam whose intensity is periodically modulated; beam diameter increasing means for increasing a beam diameter of the light beam; linear polarization means for converting a polarization characteristic of the light beam to linear polarization; light beam dividing means for dividing the light beam whose beam diameter is increased and polarization characteristic is converted to the linear polarization into signal light propagating to an object to be measured and reference light propagating to a reference object; reference light polarizing means for converting a polarization characteristic of the reference light which is linearly polarized light; signal light polarizing means for converting a polarization characteristic of the signal light which is linearly polarized light before the signal light propagates through the object to be measured and converting to linear polarization the polarization characteristic of the signal light after the signal light propagates through the object to be measured; frequency shifting means for shifting a frequency of the signal light and a frequency of the reference light relative to each other; superimposing means for superimposing the reference light whose polarization characteristic is converted by the reference light polarizing means and the signal light which is converted to linearly polarized light by the signal light polarizing means on each other to produce interference light, the frequency of the signal light and the frequency of the reference light being shifted relative to each other by the frequency shifting means; interference light separating means for separating a plurality of polarized light components which are different from each other from the produced interference light; detecting means for receiving the polarized light components separated from the interference light and outputting a detection signal including intensity change information of each of the polarized light components; and signal processing means for forming an image reflecting a birefringent property, of the object to be measured based on the intensity change information of each of the polarized light components included in the outputted detection signal.