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interferometer Definition

in·ter·fer·om·eter (in′tər fir ämət ər)

noun

an instrument for measuring wavelengths of light and very small distances and thicknesses, for determining indices of refraction, and for analyzing small parts of a spectrum by means of the interference phenomena of light

Etymology: interfer(e) + -o- + -meter

interferometer Related Forms
in′·ter·fer′o·met·ric (-fir′ə metrik) adjective in′·ter·fer·om·etry noun
interferometer Telecom Definition
See etalon.
interferometer Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • use: Two of them would use proven interferometers, one having already detected absolute speeds.
  • include: Modern instruments are introduced, including laser interferometers and AFM's, and there are sections on fractals and motif analysis.
  • shear: The Laboratory has an on-going program developing techniques such as the shearing interferometer, including data processing methods.
  • scan: Step scan permits the separation of the dynamics of scanning the interferometer from the dynamics of the chemical event to be measured.
  • align: This process keeps the interferometer accurately aligned in real time, as the interferometer is scanning and also while it is idling between scans.

Adjective modifier

  • optical: For Terrestrial Planet Finder, five spacecraft, flying in formation about one kilometer apart, will function as an optical interferometer.
  • first: Within the next decade the first submillimetre interferometers will come on-line.
  • ground-based: In the next few years, ground-based interferometers will be completed that can image large extrasolar planets.
  • stellar: In a stellar interferometer, the light sources can be two stars, or light from opposite ends of a star along its diameter.

Modifies a noun

  • array: AMI uses the Ryle dishes plus ten new dishes as interferometer arrays observing over the frequency range 12-18 GHz, a huge bandwidth.
  • experiment: Thus this type of interferometer experiment will be useful in studying the borderland between the quantum and classical worlds.
  • system: Our comprehensive array of calibration equipment includes the Renishaw ML10 Laser Interferometer system for data acquisition, analysis and error mapping procedures.
  • network: MERLIN is a sensitive radio interferometer network using up to 7 radio telescopes.
  • measurement: In recent years absolute apparatus using laser interferometer measurements of positions of falling reflectors has become highly developed and easy to use.

Noun used with modifier

  • laser: The tiny distortions are measured by means of a laser interferometer.
  • atom: Chu has devised an atom interferometer based on this cooling process.
  • radio: Such radio interferometers can resolve details far sharper than anything current optical telescopes can see.
  • phase-shifting: Already, the researchers demonstrated that their technology is 20 to 100 times faster than conventional phase-shifting interferometers.
  • fiber: In contrast to other optical methods of the detection of Shear force interactions the fiber interferometer enables to measure the tip amplitude oscillation.
  • submillimetre: Within the next decade the first submillimetre interferometers will come on-line.