Patent ID: 6847453

Claim:
An autocorrelator apparatus comprising: a broadband light source; a first single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the broadband light source to a multi-port passive device; a second single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the multi-port passive device to a fiber light probe wherein the fiber light probe is adapted to emit a first broadband light beam and is adapted to receive a second broadband light beam; a third single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the multi-port passive device to a first single mode fiber coupler; a fourth single mode optical fiber having a path length, the fourth single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the first single mode fiber coupler to a first Faraday rotator mirror wherein the fourth single mode optical fiber is wound onto a first piezoelectric fiber stretcher for varying the optical path length of the fourth single mode optical fiber; a fifth single mode optical fiber having a path length substantially equal to the path length of the fourth single mode optical fiber, the fifth single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the first single mode fiber coupler to a second Faraday rotator mirror; and a sixth single mode optical fiber adapted to optically connect the first single mode fiber coupler to a receiver having processing electronics wherein the second broadband light beam received by said fiber light probe and a signal representative of the variation in broadband light path length of said fourth optical fiber as interfered with broadband light from the fifth optical fiber are processed to produce therefrom indications of a displacement of reflections of the first broadband light beam emitted from said fiber light probe.