Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Tatsuo Itou

Keishi Kubo

Yoshihiro Ikemoto

A method for detecting a minute displacement of a probe includes an emission from a light source of two light beams having different polarizing directions. The light beams are subsequently diverged by a first lens so as to pass through a beam splitter towards a separating prism. The light beams having passed through the prism are separated into first and second measuring beams which are subsequently focused by a second lens on first and second, spaced reflecting surfaces. The first and second measuring beams are then reflected by the first and second reflecting surfaces, respectively, so as to enter respective photodetectors after having passed through the separating prism, the beam splitter and a polarizing beam splitter for passing therethrough the first and second measuring beams or reflecting them depending on the polarizing direction of the incoming light. The first and second photodetectors outputs respective signals indicative of the associated positions of foci which are then processed by a signal processing circuit to provide an indication of the minute displacement of the probe.

Method of measuring a minute displacement

A displacement detector device has a source of laser beam; a diffraction grating for separating the laser beam into a plurality of beam components; a filter for shielding the beam components other than the two beam components of .+-. primary order produced by the diffraction grating; a wavelength plate operable to vary the polarized state of one of the two beam components of .+-. primary order; a lens element for focusing the two beam components of .+-. primary order on a displacement plane and a reference plane, respectively; and a photosensor. The two beam components of .+-. primary order focused on the reference and displacement planes, respectively, are subsequently reflected therefrom and are then collimated by the lens element after having again entered the lens element in substantially overlapped relationship. The two beam components emerging from the lens element are again diffracted by the diffraction grating, and the photosensor detects an interfering component of the beam components of primary order.

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Osaka, Japan

Tatsuo Itou