Interferometer

摘要

The present invention relates to an interferometer comprising: at least one multimode waveguide (1), light or matter beam input means (2) for inputting a primary beam ILB under a specified primary angle alpha into the multimode waveguide (1) so as to generate an interference between two or more populated high modes of the multimode waveguide (1), and at least one light or matter beam processing means (8) for processing one or more secondary light or matter beams OLB1,OLB2 exiting the multimode waveguide (1). This waveguide interferometer can be used as a fine ruler for the precision positioning of different objects. The non-uniform structure of the fringes allows precisely to determine the absolute distance d between the mirrors M1 and M2 used as a preferred waveguide (1) of the interferometer. In case the waveguide (1) is made of an active optical material, the interferometer can be used as a switch to switch the light between the two different output channels. <IMAGE>