Self-Consistent and Direct Reading Laser Homodyne Measurement Technique

This paper describes a new experimental procedure for measuring sinusoidal vibration displacement amplitudes by means of a laser homodyne system. Advantages that include a self-checking feature to validate the measurement and a direct readout capability are discussed. Unambiguous displacement amplitude measurements for amplitude values greater than the optical wavelength employed are also shown to be possible. With a calibrated system, rotational vibration amplitudes can be measured.