DOE Science Showcase - Interferometry
Interferometers are devices for measuring waves that interfere with each other. They work by merging two or more sources of light or other waves to create an interference pattern which can be precisely measured and analyzed. Interferometers are used to measure everything from microscopic organisms to gas, dust, and gravitational waves originating in the distant Universe. Many of these measurements are not achievable by any other method. Interference patterns generated by interferometers contain information about the object or phenomenon being studied and make significant advances in scientific research possible.
DOE researchers are using interferometry as an important investigative technique in space exploration; atmospheric radiation measurement; noninvasive seismic monitoring; optics testing; antimatter gravity measurement; high-temperature monitoring; energetic materials testing; and electron, neutron, and atom detection. Visit the links and resources below for DOE’s interferometer research and related information.
Related Research Information in DOE Databases
- DOE PAGESBeta - journal articles and accepted manuscripts related to interferometer research resulting from DOE funding.
- SciTech Connect - interferometer research results from DOE science, technology, and engineering programs.
- In the OSTI Collections - Interferometry, Dr. William Watson
For additional information, see the OSTI Catalogue of Collections.
Additional Resources
- Interferometry, Wikipedia
- Interference (wave propagation), Wikipedia
- Michelson interferometer, Wikipedia
- Fabry-Pérot interferometer, Wikipedia
- Fizeau interferometer, Wikipedia
- What are Gravitational Waves?, Daniel Holz, Energy.gov
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration
- Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- Gravitational Waves Detected 100 Years After Einstein’s Prediction, LIGO
- LIGO Does It Again: A Second Robust Binary Black Hole Coalescence Observed, LIGO
- Gravitational Waves: The Sound of Black Holes Colliding, Brian Lantz lecture, Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, YouTube
- Einstein’s Messengers, National Science Foundation video
- National Science Foundation
- Princeton physicists share in excitement of gravitational waves Einstein predicted, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
- MARVELS Spectrograph, Sloan Digital Sky Survey
- Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), ARM Climate Research Facility
- Lights, camera, action: Researchers develop method to measure crystalline equation of state, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- New Imaging Technique Sees Elements that Are “Invisible” to Common Methods, DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences
- LA-ICP-AES using a high resolution fiber optic interferometer, AMES Laboratory
