Unobtrusive interferometer tracking by path length oscillation for multidimensional spectroscopy

Abstract : We track the path difference between interferometer arms with few-nanometer accuracy without adding optics to the beam path. We measure the interference of a helium-neon beam that copropagates through the interferometer with midinfrared pulses used for multidimensional spectroscopy. This can indicate motion, but not direction. By oscillating the path length of one arm with a mirror on a piezoelectric stack and monitoring the oscillations of the recombined helium-neon beam, the direction can be calculated, and the path delay can be continuously tracked. © 2009 Optical Society of America.