PULSED MEASUREMENT OF HIGH-REFLECTIVITY MIRROR PHASE RETARDANCES

The linear phase retardances of high-reflectivity mirrors are measured by use of the progressive modification of the polarization of a light pulse propagating in a passive Fabry-Perot cavity. This method permit s determination of the linear phase retardance of a mirror with a prec ision of better than 0.05-degrees and a sensitivity of better than 0.1 -degrees for any angle of incidence and any wavelength in the high-ref lectivity domain of the mirror. This method also leads to a precise de termination of the null-phase-retardance wavelength of the mirror.