Analysis of Fabry-Perot Interferograms by Means of Their Fourier Transforms

It is shown that there are advantages in studying the functional behavior of the fourier transforms of Fabry-Perot interferograms in preference to that of the interferograms themselves. Several experimental interferograms and their transforms are presented, and a number of contributions to the convoluted spectra that are identifiable only in the time domain are pointed out. These include such purely instrumental broadening influences as mirror defects and the spread in the incident angle of the light, as well as the lorentzian and gaussian shapes of the spectral lines under study.