METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING RESONANT FREQUENCY OF AN OPTICAL INTERFEROMETER CAVITY

摘要

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLINGRESONANT FREQUENCY OF AN OPTICALINTERFEROMETER CAVITYABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREAn apparatus and method for controlling the resonant frequency of anoptical interferometer cavity having a part having a dimension defining theresonant frequency. An electrical conductor adapted for connection to asource of electrical potential is mounted on and mechanically secured to thepart of the cavity which has the dimension defining the resonant frequency.The electrical conductor provides a conduction path substantially parallel tothe frequency defining dimension of the aforementioned cavity part and hasa coefficient of thermal expansion. Mechanical force is transmitted to theaforementioned cavity part as a function of electrothermally induced changein the length of the electrical conductor, thus causing a change in theresonant frequency of the cavity.