Modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer for spatial coherence measurement

Abstract

Spatial coherence of light sources is usually obtained by using the classical Young’s interferometer. Although the original experiment was improved upon in successive works, some drawbacks still remain. For example, several pairs of points must be used to obtain the complex coherence degree (normalized first-order correlation function) of the source. In this work, a modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer which includes a pair of lenses and is able to measure the spatial coherence degree is presented. With this modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer, it is possible to measure the full 4D spatial coherence function by displacing the incoming beam laterally. To test it, we have measured only a 2D projection (zero shear) of the 4D spatial coherence, which is enough to characterize some types of sources. The setup has no movable parts, making it robust and portable. To test it, the two-dimensional spatial coherence of a high-speed laser with two cavities was measured for different pulse energy values. We observe from the experimental measurements that the complex degree of coherence changes with the selected output energy. Both laser cavities seem to have similar complex coherence degrees for the maximum energy, although it is not symmetrical. Thus, this analysis will allow us to determine the best configuration of the double-cavity laser for interferometric applications. Furthermore, the proposed approach can be applied to any other light sources.