(physics) any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and many other useful measurements.

plural of interferometer

(physics) a device capable of diffracting neutrons and studying their wavelike characteristics

A radio telescope that has two or more separated receiving antennas in order to measure angular distances as small as one second of arc

plural of neutron interferometer

plural of radio interferometer

A kind of interferometer made up of two thick mirrors, so that the incident light is split into two parallel rays, displaced by an amount depending on the thickness of the mirror, and recombined at the second mirror to be displayed on a screen.

plural of Jamin interferometer

plural of Michelson interferometer

An optical interferometer that uses a beam splitter to split a light source into two arms, each of which is reflected back toward the beam splitter which then combines their amplitudes using the superposition principle. The resulting interference pattern is typically directed to a photoelectric detector or camera.