ABSTRACT
We developed the parametric equations that are needed to quantify the modulations in the sensitivity vector that occur when the phase-displacement equation is applied to make panoramic interferometric measurements. The measurement system relies on two collinear panoramic annular lenses, one to illuminate and the other to image their surroundings. When a coherent light source is used and a reference beam is added, interference occurs over the region of interest defined by the illuminating and viewing lenses. A holographic system is used to demonstrate the approach and quantify the analysis. We obtained interference fringes in real time by comparing holograms recorded before and after a section of cylindrical pipe is displaced relative to the measurement system. The annular images and the holographic fringes are acquired and stored digitally in a computer system, and image transformation algorithms are applied to remove optical distortions in the holographic patterns. Excellent agreement is obtained when the fringe loci are compared with those predicted on the basis of theory.
ABSTRACT
The energy in a laser cavity at threshold affects the time required for the laser to go from threshold to saturation. By determining the statistical distribution of laser turn-on times, i.e., the time required for the laser to undergo its transient from threshold to saturation, the noise distribution in the cavity can be calculated. A phenomenological model is used to analyze the low-level noise in a laser cavity based on the distribution of turn-on times of a pulsed laser. The results of this analysis are used to study the effects of injecting a signal from a cw laser into the cavity of the pulsed laser. A small injected signal shortens the laser transient and changes the shape of the distribution of turn-on times. The method used allows examination of the statistical properties of photons in the cavity without the need for photon counting.
