Electronic frequency modulation for the increase of maximum measurable velocity in a heterodyne laser interferometer

A Zeeman-type He–Ne laser is frequently used as a heterodyne laser due to the simple construction and the small loss of a light. However, the low beat frequency of the Zeeman-type laser limits the maximum measurable velocity. In this article, an electronic frequency modulation algorithm is proposed to overcome the drawback of the low velocity measurement capability by increasing the beat frequency electronically. The brief analysis, the measurement scheme of the proposed algorithm, and the experimental results are presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is proven to enhance the maximum measurable velocity.