MACHZEHNDER SYSTEM

Interferometric system in which the original light beam is divided by a semi-transparent mirror: object and reference beams pass through separate optical systems and are recombined by a second semi-transparent mirror. Interference fringes are displaced if the optical path difference for the reference beam is greater, and this can be compensated with a wedge-shaped auxiliary object. The position of the wedge allows the phase-retardation of the object to be measured. The Mach-Zehnder system was used in a microscope designed by Leitz.