**Fiber Optic and Free Space Michelson Interferometer — Principle and Practice**

Michal Lucki, Leos Bohac and Richard Zeleny

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/57149

## **1. Introduction**

based on dipping deposition in the fabrication of an optimized optical pressure sensor for

We hope this book chapter compilation will provide the readers with a broad overview and

**Mohamad Yasin** Department of Physics,

Malaysia

Malaysia

**Hamzah Arof**

**Sulaiman Wadi Harun**

Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Indonesia

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya,

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya,

unsteady aerodynamic applications.

VIII Preface

sampling of the innovative research in optical sensors.

Michelson interferometer is used in metrology of small amplitude nonelectric physical quantities for its accuracy, noncontact and noninvasive procedure. It is broadly used in sensor applications. There are many papers assuming the use of an interferometer and focusing on measuredresults,buttherearenotmanyworksofferingpracticalknowledgeonhowtoconstruct and run Michelson interferometer. In this chapter we discuss wide range of aspects, which greatly facilitate the launch of Michelson interferometer in in-situ conditions.

Random addition to a signal can practically disqualify many techniques for their eventual application in accurate measurements of displacement or vibrations. The interferometric method is suitable for signals that require a noninvasive and noncontact method [1]. It al‐ lows avoiding a physical contact with a measured object that would originate spurious sig‐ nals causing errors greater than the values to be measured. Such signals may be encountered in industrial applications like mining or construction technologies, in measure‐ ments of resonant frequencies of machines or bridges and last but not least in the measure‐ ment of small deformations or spatial distributions of temperature. Finally, measurements performed in harsh environment, such as the ones with extremely high temperature, could damage the measuring apparatus. In addition, the interferometric method is attractive for its price.
